The Traitor
by SnowyNeko
Summary: God sent an angel down to earth, incarnated it into a human, and gave it a mission: Watch Ryo. Seventeen years into her life, that's exactly what she intends to do, but something is off. Either something is missing...or something is there that shouldn't be.
1. Chapter 1

Hey ya'll! I'm back after my three month break from writing, and I can't wait to share this one with all of you! Devilman Crybaby was incredible! I just _had_ to write something on it! So hence, this was made. Of course, anime spoilers are here, and it's graphic. Anything involving this anime is graphic. But I'm super psyched to write it, and I'm super psyched for you all to read it! So let's get to it!

I hope you all enjoy chapter one!

* * *

She had never been scared before. She had never had a reason. Always she had had her holy sword and the Lord on her side, but now, she was human. And humans feel fear.

Although, she had been human since that day seventeen years ago, the same day that he was also reborn into the world. But she had grown up in a loving household, and a good community, so she had never really felt much reason to fear. Life was good, and God was on her side. God was never not on her side, but whatever was in the building in front of her was certainly not 'good'. Theoretically, she had seen nearly as many evils as God himself, but a human brain could only hold so much. She lost a lot of memories when she incarnated.

She gulped, taking a mechanical first step into the building. If only she had her sword, if only she was still immortal. But there wasn't any time to think about it. He was going to be here, this is where it would start. If she wasn't here, there would be no point to her becoming human in the first place.

The descent down the stairs unnerved her even farther, the painted directional arrows leading her ominously deeper. Muted music, heavy and maddening, reached her ears as she lowered herself off the final step. Her breathing came shaky, her throat cinching, as she pushed open the door and stepped inside.

She very nearly screamed.

She couldn't stand the sight that met her, but at the same time she found it impossible to tear her eyes away. And it only got worse as her eyes adjusted to the blazing neon lights.

The room seemed to be in a haze, although there wasn't so much as a single puff of smoke. The bodies were rocking in crazed, obscene dances while the air was pungent with the stench of booze. The clothes these people were wearing...they could hardly be called clothes! And that was just the ones that were even wearing clothes! Body parts hung out everywhere, and nobody seemed to care! Even worse, there were people...banging. Everywhere her eyes darted, there was at least three groups participating in some sort of sex or orgy. And she didn't have to see the actual pills, although they were there, to know that nearly everyone in a crowded, gaping room was high.

Her knees went weak and she collapsed against the wall, somehow having moved well away from the door. She had seen it before, she was sure she had, but never from inside. She had never in her time as a human or an angel been inside such a cesspool of humanity. There was bile surging in her throat.

"Heeeey cutie!"

She forced herself to look up, hands cupped around her mouth for fear of vomiting. The woman who spoke was too close for comfort, and even less dressed for it. Maybe, _maybe_ Uriel could have accepted it, had the woman's breasts not been dangling out of an unzipped leather jacket. She couldn't bring herself to respond despite the fact that the woman continued to shout at her.

"Did ya drink too much for yer first time? Or are the drugs making ya nauseous? It'll pass, I promise! But whaddya think? If ya want, I could send ya all the way to heaven tonight!"

Uriel cringed. Man or women, it didn't matter. The idea of doing such a thing with a stranger at all made her want to run away. She had never wanted to run away before.

Shaking her head wildly, she stumbled away from the advancing woman and desperately scanned for a place to sit. When she did, it was next to a couple slobbering all over each others' mouths, but at least they weren't getting it on. She dropped her head in her hands and let out a shuddering breath.

There is sin in humanity, she knew. Humanity chose to turn away from God a long time ago, and continued to do so because they were imperfect beings, but this imperfect? She had heard so many stories in her life as a human, on the news and through the internet, but she hadn't really understood. As an angel, too, she saw so much, but the weight of it had been lost on her. It was simply another great disobedience back then. Now that she was in it, though, it was so much more than simply disobedience to the one on high. It was an utter degradation of life itself. A wretched poisoning of the soul. She wondered if it was even possible for her to stay. If she did, would she be poisoned, too?

"Yeah….rlfriend ju..dumped him."

It was faint, diced by the roar of the crowd, but that voice! She knew that voice!

With relief flowing through her, she lifted her head to search for the owner. Blonde, pale, decked in white….he was here. Ryo. That is what he went by as a human, wasn't it? He was finally here, with the human Akira accompanying him, and a shirtless girl making out with Akira.

Without a moment to waste, Uriel threw herself in the masses to make her way to them. Twice, she very nearly lost them. Once out of the sheer number of people in the crowd, and the other because a man tried to grope 'down there'. She had had to pause and serve him up a punishing kick to the stomach. But when the two targets finally sat down, she was able to catch up. It was all she could do to ignore the orgy going on just a few feet away from them.

"Th-This is your first time here," she gasped to Akira. When he shook his head that he couldn't hear, she repeated her words louder. This time, he nodded. "It's mine, too! Do you mind if I sit here with you?"

Ryo was giving her a stare that she swore was dissecting her, but Akira motioned that she could, so she sat on Ryo's other side. The other thing was going on on Akira's side, after all.

"I'm Uriel!" she introduced, holding her hand out across Ryo. Akira took her hand and introduced himself back.

"So why are you here, Uriel?"

She gave him a pained grin. "I was hoping to meet someone! What about you?"

"He's here to help me with something," Ryo butted in.

She glanced up at him, unsure of what to do next. She'd done it, she'd engaged with them. But what about Ryo? It had been so long since they last talked, so many thousands of years. He couldn't recognize her, could he? No, he didn't have his memories. Even when he did recall who he was, he wouldn't remember it all.

"So what's that?" she decided to ask.

His eyes remained unsmiling on her as he said, "I'm going to summon a demon."

Of course, she already knew that. And she knew what was going to happen next, too. Suddenly, she wanted to leave again. The lure was oh so strong. She could forget the mission, forget Ryo and Akira. Actually, she didn't even have to do that! She could just turn heal and walk away right now, then meet up with them later and use their previous encounter as a way to integrate herself into their lives. But if she didn't stay, if she didn't _force_ herself to be a part of the bigger picture, Ryo likely wouldn't let her in. She had to force his acceptance, and being a surviving witness of tonight would get her that.

When he stood to grab the bottle, she met Akira's eyes. "He's quite eccentric!"

Panicking, he only briefly nodded to her before leaping to his feet to follow his friend. Said friend of his had already began stabbing his victims. People were slow to notice, the screams swallowed up by the psychedelic music blaring over people's groaning voices, but after a number of assaults others began to break bottles and bare fists.

She couldn't help the tears when they came. She was already such a wreck, and now people were in pain! People were dying! Ryo had not been careful with any of his strikes; many had sunk into vital organs, and people were dropping like flies around him.

And that's when the first one happened. It was the girl that had been kissing Akira earlier. Her ear-piercing, unnatural scream was enough to draw the attentions of those around her even through the deafening noise. As the girl's body began to morph, Uriel raised to her feet. She couldn't do anything. Sure, she could call upon God to banish these demons, but this was meant to happen. Surely He would listen if she prayed, but this was something that had to pass. There was purpose.

So she threw herself where she knew it would be safest. She grabbed the terrified Akira by the arm and stuck close, running when he ran and standing when he stood. Between his bouts of frozen terror and stumbling after Ryo, he would every now and again pause to shakily assure her that everything was going to be fine, that everything was going to be over soon and she would be safe, all while streams of water streaked down his face. In response, she smiled up at him through her own tears. He had such a good heart. If only he wasn't a part of all of this.

"Come, Amon! Now's your chance!"

Her throat constricted when she heard those words

"Posses Akira!"

Again, she had her moment of doubt. What if she shielded him? What if she saved this poor soul from being merged with the demon? It would be so simple. A couple words of prayer, a blessing or two…

Ryo being crushed by the body of a shot-dead demon snapped her from her thoughts, and she started her plan. Before even Akira could react, she flung herself away from him and towards Ryo, demons closing in behind her as she went. Her legs carried her faster than she'd thought possible as she fled to Ryo, the thought of the demons behind her pushing her forward almost to the point of tripping. She didn't dare glance back.

Without seeing it, she could hear it. The demons, the evil, the screeching bloodlust, and at last, Akira's transformation. That familiar wail of a human's very soul being attacked...and knowing whose soul was under siege didn't make it any better to listen to.

Her knees gave out when she reached Ryo and she collapsed next to the trapped figure, gasping unevenly for breath. He glanced up, and her down, and for a second they locked eyes. Each stared back with an identical, glassy blue gaze. Then the nearness of a malformed body in her peripheral vision forced her eyes away.

Her heart nearly stopped when she came face to fang with an enormous mouth drooling venom. Instinctively, she threw her arms around the trapped Ryo and prepared for pain.

But a resounding roar reverberated throughout the chambers and suddenly, it was raining. Raining warm, sticky, yellow blood. It soaked through the white cotton of her shirt and weighed down her normally pale hair with its putrid pus color, sending a foully offensive odor throughout the room.

Slowly, she lifted herself away from Ryo, her hand shaking as she pushed her bloodied hair away from her face to see Akira. He'd turned. It was done. Now she just had to wait for him to destroy the demons so the three of them could make their escape from the now flaming building.

She had succeeded with what she had come to do, but the fact hardly made her happy. All this death, all this destruction….why? Why was this necessary? But she couldn't allow those thoughts to linger. God was almighty, and she was simply one of many of his messengers. It would be ridiculous to question His judgements. So she choked down those traitorous thoughts and simply cried, breaking down under the curiously attentive eyes of the blonde man trapped beneath the demon corpse.

* * *

Okay, so I'm gonna start by saying that yes, she's an angel, and yes she's a believer, but the religion aspect may not be entirely 100% accurate. I'll try my best to present it well and clearly, but actual Christianity and Devilman Crybaby's God and such don't exactly line up precisely, so I hope I don't offend anyone. I usually try to avoid religion in my works, but there's no helping it with this one. But what do you all think? Was the first chapter good? What's your impression of Uriel? I can't wait to hear from you, and I plan on posting the next chapter soon!

Till then, Kisses from SnowyNeko! :3 MEOW!


	2. Chapter 2

So here's chapter two. I thought I should probably put a warning here, since I failed to do so in the first chapter. This story is rated M for a reason, so be prepared for things to get rough as things go on. But really, what were you expecting picking up a story from this fandom? Anyway, I won't hold you up any longer. Enjoy the chapter.

* * *

The distorted face of a demon turned human is what greeted her when she knocked on the door. The sight stiffened her, but she stammered out regardless, "U-um, this is where Mr. Ryo Asuka lives, isn't it? H-He told me I was welcome to visit if I wanted."

The unnatural woman, her smile not a smile but rather the way her face was structured, turned on her heels and began leading her inside. At least, she assumed she was leading her, since she didn't close the door on her. Uriel began to stumble after her, only remembering at the last second that this was Japan and she needed to remove her shoes in the entryway. Practically kicking off her flats, she hastily darted after the woman.

Ryo was sitting in the middle of a white couch in the center of the room. Although crutches leaned against the couch's side, and one of his legs was wrapped in a giant boot, he sat as comfortably as any uninjured person would. He didn't even prop up his leg on the coffee table. His laptop sat in his lap, but he looked up from it when the two people entered the room. Then he looked back down and began typing again.

"So you decided to come."

"I was wondering how you were doing," she muttered, shifting uncomfortably from foot to foot. "You looked pretty bad when I took you to the hospital. I went there looking to visit, and they told me you'd already gone home. It was surprising, considering how hurt you were."

"Hm, I see. Well, as you can see, I'm fine. I'm quick at recovering."

"Yeah…. I brought you flowers." She held up the small bouquet of white and pink carnations, drawing Ryo's gaze for a brief second.

"Thank you. Give them to Jenny, and she'll get them some water."

The woman held out her hands for the flowers, and, hesitantly, Uriel handed them over. Jenny then disappeared up the stairs, leaving the two of them alone.

Ryo startled her when he abruptly deduced, "I'm assuming those flowers aren't the only reason you're here."

She gulped. "They aren't."

Without another word, he motioned to the place on the couch beside him, continuing to tap away at his keyboard. Only when she sat down did he set the computer on the coffee table. Her eyes flicked to it briefly, but whatever he'd been doing was already closed.

"Your given name isn't Uriel, is it?"

She forgot about the computer. "Uh, no, actually. It's Eunice. Did you...try looking into me?"

"I look into everyone. It's nothing personal."

"Um, well…" She motioned to his computer. "May I?" He waved for her to go ahead. As she pulled up a browser and began to type, she explained, "My full name's Eunice Mcormick. It should be easy to find me. I debuted as a singer when I was twelve, so I've got a bit of media coverage. ...Yup, here we are." She turned the screen to him, presenting the twitter account her studio had running for her. He reached over, scrolling through the page while she was still holding it.

As his eyes scanned the words on screen, he wondered, "So where did Uriel come from?"

"That's just what my friends call me," she shrugged. "I prefer it."

"You do realize it's the name of angel, don't you?"

She beamed. "Of course! It's a blessed name, don't you think?" Then she wilted. "My parents refuse to call me by it, though. I'm afraid I don't understand, since they're such devout Catholics. Shouldn't they be glad their daughter has such a holy nickname?"

"It's their pride," Ryo suggested, causing her to tilt her head curiously.

"Pride? I wouldn't call my parents prideful people."

"They picked out your name, so they take pride in it. It's nothing more than that. Anyway, should we get to what you really came here to discuss?"

She set the computer back on the coffee table. "Yes, we should."

"You mentioned you're Christian. I presume that means you believe in angels and demons."

"I do. And those were demons the other night, weren't they?" When he confirmed this, she pushed, "It was a mass possession, and your friend Akira was possessed. He seemed to retain his sanity, though. So what's the deal? You instigated it, didn't you? With the blood? Why'd you do it?"

He leaned back against the sofa. "It sounds like you've put most of it together. You're handling this event quite well, for what you've seen."

"I am not." Her head was hung now, her hands folded as if to pray. "It still terrifies me every time I think about it. The sin, the suffering, the ugliness….I've had nightmares every night since."

"And you say I started it all."

"You did."

He was suddenly much closer to her, staring her down hard enough and near enough that she just about fell backwards onto the couch. Her breath caught in her throat in surprise, her eyes wide. She was on high alert and listening intently when he questioned,

"So, what do you think of me?"

"W-What do I…" she sputtered, confused. What was he doing? She'd never seen him like this before. He was interested in her? But why? He didn't take interest in anyone other than Akira! He couldn't possibly...no, he definitely didn't remember. There was no way. So what was it? Did she do something suspicious? Pursing her lips together, she swallowed hard and answered, "W-Well, I think you're….interesting?"

He sat back. "Why is that a question?"

"Because," she straightened herself, regaining her composure, "I can't figure you out. I can't understand your motive for it. I want to know. That's why I'm here."

His eyes were searching, hers resolute, as they stared each other down. Just as Ryo was beginning to say something, the unsettling looking demon woman descended down the steps holding the carnations Uriel had brought in a round, glass vase. They both remained silent as she placed it on the coffee table, then left once again. Then Ryo said to Uriel,

"I want to expose the existence of demons to the world."

She shot back without delay, "And what good would that do?"

"Good? I don't care about good. Demons exist. You and I both know this is a fact. Why shouldn't people know about it?"

"Because people will panic." As the words came from her mouth, she could see it. So very clearly, she could see it, and the sight made her chest tighten painfully.

"So people panic. I want to tell them the truth. It's up to them how they handle it."

 _Except it's not_ , she thought. Humans could be strong, but they could also be very, very weak in the face of fear. If the panic ensued, they would be easily manipulated. Inevitably. It would happen. Again, a treacherous thought crossed her mind. _Why does it have to be me? Why must I live in such a horrible time?_ But of course, it was because she had asked to. Her curiosity, her pity, her love, all of it was too strong. She had made a wish, a selfish wish that went against the very nature of an angel itself. A wish to discover, and to know something He had not disclosed to the angels. And the merciful Lord had granted it. Of course she was to suffer, both first and second hand. Selfishness did that to a person.

 _Wait. Selfishness?_

The thought struck her, and struck her hard. Had she...had she been selfish? But….wasn't that a sin?

Sure, she had sinned little, venial sins as a human. She was born like any other human with original sin. She experienced temptation, and in moments of weakness, she'd given in. She'd immediately repented, of course, but this was different. Very different. This had happened when she was still purely an angel, with no hint of humanity inside of her. She had been _selfish?_ And even then, when she realized what she'd done, she...didn't regret it. She couldn't bring herself to. She was suffering, would suffer, but she didn't regret it. Was this...what it actually meant to sin? But….what did you do when you didn't regret it?

The realization struck her mute. She really was human, after all. An angel couldn't feel such dissonance with the God On High, so it must be the human in her. That's why she was thinking all these thoughts. Were….were the demons from that night finally getting to her?

No, she decided. They weren't. This was just another trial for her to undergo. She'd experienced many things as a human, and this lack of regret was next on the list. She would overcome it. And as soon as she did, she would go to confession have the stain of a sin absolved.

"I am not," Ryo broke her from her inner monologue, "asking you to help me. You don't have to do anything. You don't even have to be involved. You're free to walk out if you want. This is something between me and Akira, after all."

She sucked in a deep breath. "It is, but I'm butting in." She glared at him hard. " _I'm_ a part of this now, whether you like it or not, and I'm sticking by you until the very end, so don't try to cast me aside now or ever."

For all the courage she put into those words, he seemed relatively unfazed, perhaps merely slightly irked. "That's quite the bold statement to someone you just met a couple nights ago."

"It's an honest one."

"Oh I believe you," he assured her. "You don't strike me as the type to lie."

"So I'll be coming back here on occasion," she finished, standing. "That's fine with you, I take it?"

"Do as you please," he dismissed, grabbing back his laptop and returning to whatever he was doing before. "And thanks again for the flowers. They brighten up the room quite nicely."

She nodded and made her way to the entrance, pausing to slip on her shoes before exiting the flat. On the elevator ride down, she made a quick sign of the cross and sent up a small, humble prayer.

 _God, please give me the strength to see this mission through._

* * *

I am just itching, _itching_ to write more interactions between the two of them! There's just so much to explore, and so much to work with! At times like this I turn into such a giddy fangirl. That's a bit odd to say for a story like this, I suppose, but it's true. Anyway, stay tuned! There's more to come. Much more.

Till then, Kisses from SnowyNeko! :3 MEOW!


	3. Chapter 3

So, not many of you have commented, but I'm still psyched to see you guys seem to be enjoying the story so far! It makes me feel like I've been away from fanfiction too long. Once again, I don't really have much to talk about, so I'll let you get to the story now. It feels like these afore notes have been pretty short lately...

* * *

"You got _another dog?_ "

She winced at the disapproval in her mother's voice, her hands tightening around the mangy chihuahua mix in her hands. She had found him on the way back from Ryo's place last night, shivering in the streets, covered in ticks, skinny as a twig, and...she just couldn't leave him! It was just so horrible to see one of God's creations in such a pitiable state!

"How many does that make now?" her mother huffed on the other side of the screen. "Five? Six?"

In a small voice, Uriel corrected, "Eight."

"Dear Lord, Eunice! Is that even legal in Japan?"

Frankly, she didn't know. She had been meaning to check into it, but since she made good money with her singing gigs, she figured it was fine as long as she was able to take good care of them. If she felt for a second that she had inadequate resources to feed and care for them all, she'd find them better homes, but so far that hadn't been an issue. So long as she had a dog-sitter while she was working, that is.

Her mother sighed, her fingers massaging her forehead in exasperation. "You have got to do something about this bad habit of yours, sweetheart. I know you love animals, but this is too much. Eight dogs and three cats….and you've only been living on your own in Japan for a year! If you weren't managing so well with everything else, I'd call you back home immediately!"

The girl wilted, rubbing the pup's head in remorse. She really didn't like to be scolded, even over the smallest of things. Especially over something she felt was right. But this was worrying her mom, and her dad was probably concerned, too. She couldn't just ignore them. "I know it's a lot, and I'm sorry I keep making you worry, but I can't put him back where he was now that I've picked him up! I promised I'd take care of him!"

"Of course you did." Her mother shook her head. "I'm glad I raised you never to break a promise, but now you need to promise _me_ something. Promise me this is the last one."

Uriel's heart dropped all the way to her feet, even as the samoyed she called Puff nosed her hand to be pet. She didn't want to promise, she didn't want to stop, but….she had to admit she was caring for a lot of animals. She hadn't even told her mom about iguana. So with a heavy heart, she relented, "I….promise."

"Good. Say hello to Mrs. Shirotani for me. I love you, sweetheart."

"I love you too, Mom." They each kissed their fingers and pressed them to the screen, and then the call cut off. With a sigh identical to her mother's, Uriel set the chihuahua on the floor and closed the laptop before heading to check the array of water bowls in the kitchen. "I didn't even get to tell her his name is Poppy."

As she refilled the empty water bowls, her mud-colored calico weaving around her feet, she called her manager and put her phone on the counter on speakerphone.

"...Eunice? What are you doing calling on your vacation? Don't tell me you want to work! I worked hard to negotiate these vacation days for you, since you were so insistent!"

"No, I was just wondering about something. Your daughter goes to the same school as that famous track star, right?"

"Oh, you mean Miki Makimura! Yes, she does. Were you hoping to meet Ms. Miki?"

"Actually no." Uriel ran her hand over the brown cat on the counter before setting the last bowl on the floor and picking up her phone. "There's actually someone else on that track team I wanted to get in contact with. I met him a couple nights ago, and it was kind of...an eventful meeting. His name's Akira Fudo."

For a second, the line went silent, and Uriel feared the line had cut. Her manager was never quiet, after all. Then laughter burst through the other end so that she reflexively flinched away from the phone's speaker.

"Hahahaha, Eunice! Why are you calling _me_ about this? You know where he goes to school, and even what club he's in! Go see him yourself! I may be your manager, but I'm not being paid to referee your love life!" Then, almost as suddenly as she'd laughed, her voice plummeted into dead seriousness. "Wait, you're not implying...you didn't _sleep_ with him, did you? If you got pregnant, then-"

"That's not it!" Uriel cut her off immediately, splotches of hot red creeping up her neck and face. "That's definitely not it! It was nothing like that! I'm just calling you because it's hard for me to go to public places. When people recognize me…"

"If that's it, then quit worrying. You may be famous, Eunice, but you aren't a pop star. Kids these days aren't listening to what you're singing! The younger generations are all over beat intensive music. I'm sure your voice would capture them if they listened, but your audience is a little older than high school, I'm afraid. You'll be fine! Go get yourself that boy! Oh, but don't you go sleeping with him. A young singer like you can't handle a child at this point in her career."

"Yeah, I got it," Uriel grimaced. "By the way, Mom says hi." After a few more exchanges concerning her mother, they said their goodbyes and hung up. Uriel stared at the time, absently scratching the brown cat's chin as she wondered if he'd still be at school. She herself had returned home an hour ago, but she didn't have any sort of club activities. How long did those last? Should she go to his house then? She knew where it was, but then again, what if he asked her how she knew? She couldn't just say she was angel who was watching him and Ryo, but it was also wrong to lie. So, then, what if she asked Ryo? But she didn't have his number.

Ugh. She should have gotten it when she was with him last night.

After making sure all her pets were properly taken care of, she threw on a cap, stuffed her feet in some flip flops and left the apartment.

Mrs. Shirotani was right, she supposed. There usually wasn't too much trouble surrounding her fame. Sure, some of her classmates new of her, but more often it was the teachers and parents that recognized her. Besides, the way the world was moving, people could listen and enjoy music without ever seeing the artist or singer's face. So, she could actually just head to his school, but he might not be there anymore, and she needed to see him that night night because something was going to happen, and-

Something was going to happen. She'd forgotten! Someone Akira knew was attacked by demons, and tonight he was going to confront them!

She quickened her pace until she was nearly running, her mind racing on par with her feet. Yes, something was happening, and yes, she needed to be close to that duo, but did she actually need to be there for this one? It couldn't hurt, right? The more time she spent with Ryo, the better, but was tonight actually all that important? But what if she missed something important? She wouldn't be here if there wasn't something she couldn't understand without being there, so yes. She had to go.

She was panting by the time she reached the complex where Ryo lived. Practically throwing herself into the elevator, she jabbed the button to the top floor and slumped against the back wall as the ride up began. What if she'd missed them? What if Akira had already come, and he and Ryo had already headed out? It was already twilight, after all.

Jenny answered the door and Uriel blurted, "Is Ryo still here?"

Relief flooded through her when the woman turned and, like before, lead her into the penthouse. Ryo was exactly where he was last time, in the exact same position, too. This time, though, he didn't look back at the laptop when she entered.

"Why are you here?" he asked, unreadable.

"Ah, um…" It took her a second to remember the reason she'd first started heading over. "I was hoping to get in touch with Akira, since the three of us are kind of connected now. Do you happen to know where he lives?"

"It must be your lucky day. Akira's actually on his way here. You can ask him yourself."

"O-Oh. Really. Then, do you mind if I wait here?"

"Be my guest."

She sat, and he returned to his computer. Without his attention, and nothing else she could think of to talk about, she started, "I got a new dog last night. I found him just a couple blocks from here, actually. He was as all skin and bones, and when I called the number on his collar, his owners told me they didn't want him anymore. The poor thing."

"Why are you telling me this?"

"Well, it's better than sitting in silence, isn't it?"

Ryo sat back, his hands stilling over his keyboard as he raised his eyes to meet hers. "Tell me then. Why do you waste your time and money on lesser creatures?"

"Just because they're not human doesn't mean they're not precious."

"And what," he inquired, "does it mean to be precious?"

"It's when something is important to you, when you're willing to do things for its benefit rather than yours. It's kind of like-" _Your relationship with Akira_. She couldn't say that, though, for many reasons.

"Like..?"

"Like a mother with her baby, I guess," she offered instead. "Or if you want something inhuman, it's like a lifelong dream. Isn't there something you want to do, that you'd sacrifice at least something for?"

At this point, his attention had left his computer entirely. The two of them faced each other, each absorbed in each other's words. In the back of her mind, Uriel was amazed that Ryo was actually taking an interest in what she was saying. In her experience, he was typically apathetic unless otherwise required, but his apparent interest delighted her. His next words, however, watered her down.

"If I ever had to start sacrificing something, I would find another way."

She went silent. She couldn't help it. She couldn't help it because she knew he was going to sacrifice something. To get what he desired, he would sacrifice the only thing he cared about. And he had no idea. The thought put tears in her eyes.

Ryo didn't miss this. "Why are you crying?"

She pulled herself straight, having not realized the gathering water until he mentioned it. Her fingers wiped it away as she dismissed, "Sorry, it's...I'm just being emotional. But listen to me, Ryo. Some things are worth sacrificing for, they really are, but there are things you shouldn't sacrifice. They just aren't worth it."

"I know."

"But you don't, do you? You're just going to go ahead and pour everything you consider worthless towards your goal, and in the end, you're going to-"

"Uriel." She paused. He had turned away from her and back to the computer, his attention evidently lost. "I don't need you to lecture me."

"...Sorry." Silently scolding herself, she shrunk back into the sofa. She had very nearly said too much. Ryo couldn't know she knew so much about him, and his plans. He had to share them with her before she could inquire about any of it.

"Ryo! Are you ready to-" Akira burst into the room, motorcycle helmet under his arm. He cut off when his eyes landed on Uriel. "Huh? Who's she?"

Oh, she'd forgotten. His memories of that night were blurry. "The name's Uriel," she reminded him, standing. "We met just the other night. You know...then." He blinked, and she took in his body. He had changed so drastically when he took Amon in, and she had to admit is saddened her. Sure, he was attractive, but it was a demon that had crafted that body. The frail body he was born with was gone.

Still, the way he rubbed the back of his neck sheepishly reflected the innocent boy that was still somewhere inside him. "My memories of that night aren't too clear."

"Don't worry about it. A lot happened." Now, she held out her hand. "I think we'll be seeing each other a lot from now on, though, so I hope we get along."

"Yeah." He crossed the room to shake her hand. As he did, Ryo grabbed his crutch and pushed to his feet.

"Forget the bike, Akira. Since she's coming, we'll take the car."

"What? Can you drive in that condition?"

"I can drive," Uriel provided."

"We'll go with that, then," Ryo decided hobbling towards the door. "Let's get going. If we linger for too long, we'll miss our targets."

* * *

Mm, the temptation to analyze my own work is strong, but I really should leave that up to you guys. Maybe it's just me personally, but breaking down the pacing, details and such while I'm reading is a huge part of the fun of reading for me. I suppose if you guys want to hear me do that after every chapter I post, you could leave a comment and let me know and I'd be glad to do it. For now, though, I'll leave the fun of that up to you, if it's up your alley. See you guys next chapter!

Till then, Kisses from SnowyNeko! :3 MEOW!


	4. Chapter 4

I just want to point out again, since I'm dealing with so much religious stuff here, that I am not trying to convince any of you of anything. It's just that God and Satan are prominent characters in this universe, and it makes them unavoidable. Everything here applies strictly to the 'in universe' world. I just really felt the need to express that, since usually I sidestep this ballpark entirely in my writing. Anyway, enjoy the new chapter.

* * *

Heat beat down on the track field, drawing sweat out of the skin of the athletes. The shaded bleachers weren't much better, but at least they kept their occupants out of direct sunlight. Even so, Uriel was downing the water she'd brought. She'd left school the second the day had ended to make it to Akira's track practice, simply because she'd wanted something to do. Having the role of the observer could get boring.

Technically, she only needed to get close to Ryo to accomplish what she needed, but Akira was someone she wanted to know. His pure heart that persisted even inside of a demonic body fascinated her. She admired him. And she pitied him. Whether it was admiration or pity, though, the reason she wanted to be his friend had been enough for her to take action. So there she was, sweating bullets despite being shaded from the sizzling summer sun.

The sweltering heat made time seem to crawl, but despite how it felt to her, in reality she hadn't been sitting there long before a couple of boys approached her. Still pressing her cold water bottle to her forehead, she glanced up.

"Is this your first time coming to see the track team?" one of them asked, sitting on the row in front of her. He was short compared to his counterpart, and a little better built. The other one was lanky and thin like paper, towering well above the height she would've reached were she standing.

"Yeah."

"Thought so. We come here all the time, and we've never seen you before." The friend standing beside him nodded in exaggerated agreement. "So what grade are you in?"

"I'm a second year," she answered, lowering the bottle before the condensation could drip onto her shirt. "Eunice Mcormick. Nice to meet you."

"Oh wow, so you really are a foreigner, then!" the standing one gushed.

"I'm Tadashi, and this is Ichirou," the sitting one introduced, glaring at his friend. "What brought you to the track, Eunice?"

She used her bottle to point towards where the runners were positioned at the starting line. "I'm acquainted with Akira."

Tadashi grimaced, but Ichirou whistled, impressed. "Akira's got connections!"

"I suppose you could say that," she mused. It was almost funny, thinking that Akira was in good with both her and Ryo. If anyone on earth had impressive connections, it really was him.

The starting gun popped, and in under a second the runners had boosted off the pedestals. Everyone was fast, Miko merely feet behind the renowned Miki, but Akira was jetspeed. Tadashi and Ichirou watched on in silent awe, but Uriel couldn't help but be slightly disturbed. Sure, he was fast, but the way Akira ran… No one else seemed to think much of it, but the crawling, spider-like motion sent shivers down her spine. His legs spread unnaturally wide to reach for the next step, his torso angled forward like a battering ram, but the most unnerving part to her, perhaps, were his arms that snapped forward as if clawing at something. It reminded her of a feral beast. While running, more than anything else, Akira looked like a demon.

No one was surprised when Akira blew past the finished line. Sweet little Miki, the star now beaten by leagues, went up to Akira to congratulate his improvement. As he laughed off something she said, his eyes wandered over to the bleachers and Uriel waved. It took him a second to wave back. Clearly, he hadn't expected her to be there. Once he waved, though, he headed over to her with Miki trailing behind.

"What're you doing here?"

She stood, merely nodding to the two boys who had been talking with her and stepping off the bleachers. "I came to see you run. Should I not have?"

"Akira, who's this?" Miki smiled at her, but something told Uriel Miki wasn't feeling too genuinely happy.

"Miki, this is Uriel. I, uh, met her through Ryo."

At the mention of Ryo's name, any semblance of cheer, real or fake, faded from the girl. "Can I talk to you for a second, Akira?"

He glanced to Uriel, but she motioned for him to go ahead. She had an idea of what he was about to be told, and she was confident it wouldn't change much. Behind her, one of the guys griped, "Hey I thought you said your name was Eunice."

"It is," she confirmed without turning back. "Uriel's just something the people I'm close to call me."

"...So, why is a foreigner like you here in Japan?"

"Oh, that." She finally turned to face them, hands clasped behind her. "I'm a singer, actually. I'm here for work." Which was true, but more so she was there to meet Akira and, specifically, Ryo.

"Singer? Like an idol?"

"Um...not quite. Pop's not my genre."

"Then what do you sing? Don't tell me it's rock or something."

"Well, it varies depending on the event, but it's usually something like folk, or opera."

"Seriously? How do you even make money off of that?"

"Concerts. You'd be surprised how many people come to them. I actually have a concert in a couple of weeks from now. You should come. I can get you some tickets, if you'd like."

The boys apparently didn't know what to say to that. They shared a look before Tadashi shrugged, "Sure, if you're inviting us."

Akira returned then, looking much more drained than he had when he'd just finished running. "Sorry about that. Miki doesn't really like Ryo, and she's been kind of worried about me lately, so…"

"Oh it's not a problem. I get it."

"Yo Akira," Tadashi piped, "how'd you ever meet a foreign singer?"

"Uh…"

"We have a mutual friend," Uriel informed them. Careful not to lie, she didn't say more than that. "Are you done, Akira? I planned on waiting for awhile, but I don't know how long I can stand this heat."

"Well, there's still stuff to do, but I can leave early."

She asked if he was sure, and when he confirmed this, she said her goodbyes to Tadashi and Ichirou before joining Akira off school grounds. On her suggestion, they stopped at a fast food joint and sat down for a casual dinner.

After ordering just about every meat dish on the menu, Akira started, "Did you really come just to see me run?"

"I did," she nodded, sipping her drink. "Although I'd also heard a lot about Miki, so I was kind of interested in meeting her, too. Now that I'm here, though," she set down her drink and rested her chin in her hand, "I have to ask how you're doing. You look exhausted, and I don't mean physically."

Immediately, his eyes left hers. She waited patiently as the devilman before her contemplated spilling the truth to her, delighted when he finally decided to speak. "It's just….frustrating. This body, Ryo, the demons...they really are everywhere." The more he spoke, the more his limbs sank with tired weight. Although they were faint, there were bags under his eyes, but with every word they almost seemed to grow darker. "I know you've seen them, but they're in more places than you think. Last night….last night one of them possessed Miki. I was able to get it out of her, but I honestly can't remember how. I was panicking. If whatever I tried hadn't worked…..I don't know. I just...don't. And then there's Ryo…"

When he trailed off, Uriel prompted, "What about Ryo?"

"He's just so infuriating!" Without warning, Akira snapped up a hand to claw at his hair. "I don't know how to read him! He k-killed a witness last night! A human! Just because he saw me transform! And then he tried to kill Miki!"

"A-Akir-"

"And then he told me not to trust anyone but him! I know that I can trust him! But I can't just forget about Miki, or her parents, and then there's you! Why shouldn't I trust you? What's wrong with that? You're going through this stuff, too! I-"

"AKIRA!"

His body seized when she yelled, all of the heads in the restaurant whirling to look at her. Then he shook, releasing the gathered tension in a shuddering breath. Hesitantly, the waitress heading for their table put down their piled-high tray and darted away, eager to be away from the scene makers. Uriel removed her burger from the mountain of food Akira ordered and gave him a gentle smile.

"Akira, it's okay to trust people, but it's also okay to keep people away from things that might hurt them. Ryo is definitely extreme, but what if Miki got dragged into this more? And you can trust me, too, no matter what Ryo says. I won't lie to you, Akira. I promise. You're a good guy, and I trust you, too. Things are going to be rough, but there's no helping that. We're dealing with Satan's soldiers, here, and they're tough opponents. The most we can do is put our faith in God and keep fighting, okay?"

Nodding numbly, Akira reached for his food, until Uriel added, "I know it's painful. It's alright to cry about it."

And cry he did. Tears streaked rivers down his face as he shoveled the food into his mouth to muffle his sobs. Uriel sipped her soda quietly and watched, her own food untouched before her because even as she comforted him, she herself was on the verge of tears. He was suffering so terribly, and there was nothing she could do. Even as her words practically assured him Miki would be safe if he kept his secret, she knew the future said otherwise. Even as she assured him that it was okay to trust those around him, she knew his closest friend would betray him soon. She hadn't spoken a word of falsehood, but even so it felt as though she was spewing nothing but manipulative lies. It felt disgusting.

 _Trust in God_ , she had to remind herself. _This is His plan, and He is just._ But it just wouldn't leave her alone. Justice. This pain Akira endured, the loss he suffered and despair he felt….he had done nothing wrong. Why did he have to be punished for another's sin? What 'justified' Akira's fate?

 _But He is right, He is just_.

…..right?

* * *

You know, I really like the name Uriel. It's kind of exotic, and at the same time, has age to it. I've also found that I surprisingly like the name Eunice, too. I've never actually met anyone with the name, and before this story, it wasn't a name I heard or thought of often. It's kind of nice though. Sophisticated. I knew it was the right human name for Uriel the moment I saw it. But I digress. I'll get to working so I can update again soon.

Till then, Kisses from SnowyNeko! :3 MEOW!


	5. Chapter 5

Guys, my ankle hurts. I sprained it awhile back learning a back spin on ice skates, and it's been in a brace for a month now. It's been getting better, but some days it just randomly decides it's time to bug me again. Why does my body have to be this way? But that's not what you guys aren't here for. I'll finish my venting so you can get to the story.

* * *

On the way into Ryo's apartment complex, Uriel ran into someone. As she staggered back, a flurry of paper bills billowed around her, evidently dropped by the person she'd encountered. Immediately, she knelt and began to collect them.

"I'm so sorry! I should have been paying more attention!"

When she had gotten nearly halfway through collecting the cash, she began to slow. The man she'd run into was still standing. He hadn't knelt to collect his own money that had gone flying. That...was odd. Slowly, as she picked up another yen bill, she raised her gaze. Ice zapped through her veins.

Akira was standing over her, his eyes glazed darkly as he examined every inch of her, and drool slipping out of the corners of his mouth.

She shivered violently, instantly realizing what was happening. Heart beating a mile a minute, she shoved what bills she had collected into his hand and zipped past him into the building, practically sprinting to the elevator. Even when she reached it, she didn't calm down until the doors had closed and the elevator had started on its way up. Lust was such a frightening thing. Actually, she had a bit of an aversion to even loving attraction. She realized attraction and sex were beautiful things given to humans by God, but perhaps because of her conservative upbringing, such things made her uneasy. She rationalized it as a fear of the animalistic vice of lust, the kind Akira had been displaying. She couldn't get it out of her head that something that was meant to be a bond-forming, mutually loving experience could turn into something so brutal, so even when she reached Ryo's floor, her heart still would not settle.

Jenny lead Uriel inside without a word, but when she came into Ryo's view, he immediately asked, "Why are you so red?"

The question only made her flush deeper. "It's nothing you need to concern yourself with." She just couldn't stop thinking about how Akira must have seen her just now, and the more she thought about it, the more fidgety she felt. "I, um, met Akira on the way in."

"Ah." The boy poured himself a glass of water and came out of the kitchen area, standing in the doorway. "He seems to be in heat right now. He's having difficulty controlling a demon's urges, so I gave him some money to use to vent."

"I figured," she cringed. Ah, tonight was the night he was supposed to meet Silene. She had forgotten. It was not going to be a pleasant night.

Ryo reentered the kitchen, holding up a glass. "Water?"

"Nah, I'm alright for now, thanks." With that said, she collapsed onto his couch, throwing an arm over her eyes.

When Ryo spoke again, his voice was much closer. "Aren't you being a little brash, splaying yourself on my couch like you live here?"

"I'm sorry, but please let me rest for a moment. Akira just about gave me a heart attack."

"Really?" The give of the cushion under her feet told her he had sat on the couch with her. "Did he try to attack you?"

She shook her head. "No, he didn't do anything. He was just...scary. Demons are scary."

"You think?" His voice was completely emotionless. "Why? Because they kill?"

"They don't have any restraint." Feeling a little more settled, Uriel sat up, grabbing her wrists around her knees. "There is merit in being able to control oneself. And comfort."

"I don't see why being unrestricted is a bad thing. If you feel something, why not satisfy it?"

"Because sometimes it can harm you."

"How would it be-"

"You gave Akira money for prostitutes," she interrupted, gnawing on her cheek. "I'll admit, he needs to find a way to calm down, and venting through ruthless sex is certainly effective, but it will hurt him. It may not physically harm him, but do you really think he'll be able to walk away from it without feeling disgust? Without feeling guilt?" When Ryo stayed silent, she sighed. "I'd like to stay the night here, if you don't mind. I'm worried about Akira. I want to see him in the morning."

This, Ryo had a response to. "Are you sure you want to do that?"

"Sorry, would it bother you?"

"Not particularly." Without warning, Ryo abruptly shoved her back down onto the couch and positioned himself so he was looming over her. He was so close. His nose nearly touched hers, his bright blonde hair dangling down and tangling with the tips of her eyelashes. Uriel stopped breathing, frozen in shock. And fear. Fear. It had never been a problem in the past, but lately, fear seemed to be creeping around every corner, along with other suffocating emotions she dreaded to think about. They had all started appearing at the same time as the man in front of her now.

Coercing out a strained breath, Uriel whispered, "Get off."

"No."

"Get off or I'll scream."

"Go ahead and scream. Are you scared of what I'll do to you?" His breath washed over her sweetly, causing her to stiffen even more. "You are, aren't you? I can see it. Your body's stiff, your eyes are dilated, your lips are shaking… If this is how you respond to the idea of sex, you don't have any right to lecture me, understand?"

She weaseled her arms up to his chest, pushing, but he grabbed them and pinned them to the side. Panic finally taking effect, she screeched, " _Let me go!_ "

"You're the one that asked to spend the night." Then, as quickly as he'd pinned her down, he released her arms and stood, picking his empty glass off the coffee table and walking back to the kitchen. Uriel couldn't move. Her eyes were glued to the ceiling. Her first instinct was to run for the door, to get away and never look back. Her second was to find some sort of weapon and whip some respect into him. But she couldn't formulate either reaction into actual motion, because something other than her fear was pestering her. Two somethings, actually. One had been that, just then, Ryo had almost sounded….angry. She had made him angry somehow. Ryo, angry? _The_ Ryo? The one that didn't react to anyone except Akira, and God? That didn't make any sense!

The second was that...he was beautiful. He was absolutely gorgeous. Of course he was, he was God's creation, but that hadn't been the way she was thinking about it. It was only for a second, only a split second, but it had crossed her mind that she could have lifted her head and kissed him. And she knew if she had, it wouldn't have stopped at merely a kiss.

Tears overflowing, she cupped her hands to cover her eyes and rolled to bury her face in the couch, and there she stayed until weariness carried her into sleep.

XX

The couch rocked when Ryo kicked it, jerking Uriel back into the waking world. She groggily sat up, eyes gazing sleepily about the room as she gathered her bearings. The sun wasn't quite up yet, but there was light beginning on the horizon. The giant windows of Ryo's living room gave her a magnificent view of the dawn, with stars still visible in the sky.

Then Ryo's actions flooded back to her and she tensed, pivoting to face the blonde standing between the couch and coffee table. Renewed horror welled up within her as he shoved his arms into that white trench coat of his, but he barely even gave her a glance.

"Akira hasn't returned yet, so we're going to find him," he informed her, turning to head for the door. She couldn't move until she heard the door open. Then, in a rush of motion, she threw off the blanket atop her and stumbled to follow, barely catching up to him before the elevator door shut. Neither of them said anything as she slipped her shoes on on the way down. The silence dragged on even when they left the elevator, and then the building. In the car, only the purr of the engine invaded the empty air. Uriel rested her forehead against the window, blankly watching the reflection of the car on the passing buildings.

Time eluded her, but the sun had broken the horizon when the car finally pulled to a stop. Uriel lifted her head off the window and peeked over at Ryo, but he was already exiting the car. So she went ahead and got out, too. For a couple of steps into the grassy field they had parked at the edge of, she kept her eyes on the back of Ryo's flowing coat, but then her gaze shifted and her footsteps came to a screeching halt.

As tall and magnificent as a statue, a strange beast stood like stone in the center of the field. The body was like that of a prized ox, if an ox was the size of an elephant, with tusks thicker than any animal's protruding from the front of the shoulder blades. Between the tusks was the proud top half of a female bird demon, with her winged hair splayed victoriously for all to see. With the first light of day backing the frozen creature, it truly gave the feeling a a divine being. Silene, with the body she stole from Kaim. Two atrocious demons. And yet seeing the two of them...it almost made her want to smile. It almost made her want to sing.

She blinked, realizing with a start that Ryo had also stopped a few feet ahead of her. He appeared to have been stopped by the same awe she had, his gaze fixed upon the dead collaboration of a beast. For a minute, she gazed at him with the same curious awe she had looked upon the creature with. Then she opened her mouth, preparing to speak.

Before she could get out a sound, Ryo turned on his heel and took off for a warehouse with a broken wall situated at the edge of the field. Uriel could only blink, having been unprepared for his haste. She closed her mouth and looked back at Silene and Kaim. The two of them baffled her. Why did Silene look so happy in death? She was a demon, a monster, a cretin who rejected God. Hadn't she been furious about losing Amon, the demon she lusted after? So why hadn't she died in hatred?

"Do you think….demons can love?"

Uriel dropped her gaze to where Ryo was supporting a bloodied, beaten Akira. Akira had been the one that spoke, his eyes likewise focused on the two demons as theirs had been. Ryo returned his gaze to the beast, staying silent.

Uriel's eyebrows furrowed. Ryo should've refuted it. He always did, so why wasn't he now? She considered answering herself, but for some reason, she also couldn't say it. Ryo loved Akira, but he was a fallen angel, not a demon. Demons couldn't love, but….

"Why do you ask?" Uriel wondered, her voice gruff.

Akira didn't look over at her, instead cocking his head and continuing to study the demon as he explained, "Well, it looked like love to me."

Could it really be? A demon, in love? But God was love, and the demons rejected Him. But…..she could see it. Love was an incredible thing. If it was truly present within Silene and Kaim, then perhaps it wasn't so strange that Silene was able to die with something resembling joy on her face. It would explain why Kaim sacrificed himself for Silene so easily, and why Silene was so intent on reclaiming Amon. But maybe that gladness in her expression was in reality just madness, and maybe she was just obsessed with the pleasure Amon gave her….

But Kaim's sacrifice…what could the reason for that have been?

* * *

Personally, I don't think Silene and Kaim were explored enough in the anime. They also didn't really get much of a spotlight here, but I did want to include them. I did that at least. Still, the two of them have a lot of potential, I think. What do you guys think? Oh, and are you guys liking Uriel so far? I've grown to like her quite a bit, although to be fair, I've written ahead a little so I've seen her develop a little more. Anyhow, I look forward to what you've got to say!

Till then, Kisses from SnowyNeko! :3 MEOW!


	6. Chapter 6

I've been a total bum all day. Like, there were things I should've been doing, and I just...haven't been. I should've gone to the pet store, I should have printed my paper, I probably should have finished the chapter I was reading, and I should have posted this earlier, but, you know...at least I'm posting this now. It's been awhile since I've had a day purely for doing nothing, you know? I felt like I needed one. But I made sure to get this done so I could update for you guys! I did that at least! So please, enjoy.

* * *

In the seat next to Uriel, a short woman with her short black hair slicked into a bun was tick-tacking away at her phone. Her happy blue glasses contradicted the expression of serious concentration on her face that gave the impression that she must be texting about something important. A glance at her phone, though, would show anyone that she was intently strategizing a new route of attack on Clash of Clans. Uriel was used to this. Her manager did whatever she wanted whenever she wanted.

Past the bars in front of their seats was a track field that struck Uriel as ridiculously large for a high school meet. In its defense, though, there were a couple of rising stars in this meet. There was miss Miki, of course, but there was also Koda. Even more than Miki, he was the star of all Japanese high schools as far as track teams went, so much so that there was even a news team covering the meet today. That little detail explained Mrs. Shirotani's presence. Technically, Uriel was on her last days of vacation, but when her manager had heard that she was going to the meet, preparations were made. Now there was scheduled to be a break time in the middle of the meet where Uriel would go out and sing. She didn't mind, not really. She liked to sing more than anything. It was how she prayed, and how she loved. The only part that bothered her was that her heart was nervous for what was to come. She knew what would happen, but for the life of her she couldn't remember exactly _when_. Sitting there in the audience, she couldn't help but wish she had the mental capacity to retain all her angelic memories. Not knowing when the panic would hit was unnerving, to say the least.

The athletes were all on the field stretching, some of them lightly jogging about. Miki was holding a baton, passing it between her hands when she caught Uriel's eyes. After glancing around, she passed the baton off to another teammate and hopped over to where the singer was sitting. Seeing this, Uriel stood and went to lean over the railing.

"I heard you're singing today," Miki started, craning her head back to talk.

"It was kinda last minute, but yeah," Uriel nodded.

Miki pursed her lips together, studying Uriel for a bit before wondering, "What's your relationship with Akira?"

"Huh?"

"You're here in the first place because of him, right? Haven't you only known each other for a couple of weeks at most?"

"Ah, well," she brushed her hair behind her ear, "I don't know if you'd quite call us friends. We're just acquainted. We also both hang out with Ryo Asuka, so we've been seeing a bit of each other lately."

"Who is this Ryo guy, anyway?"

Uriel hesitated. How much could she safely tell her? "Well, he's someone Akira's got along with when he was little. You don't like him very much, do you?"

"You can tell?"

"Aha, yeah, a little," she giggled, a little nervous. Was she giving too much away? Miki and her hadn't really talked all that much. All it would take is a slight slip up on her part to give away she knew much more about Miki than she should.

"Well you're not wrong," the brunette sighed. "Frankly, I also don't really know what to think about you, either."

Uriel chuckled again. "Thank you for your honesty."

"Either way, I look forward to hearing you sing. It's kind of cool to be able to say I know the performer!"

"I think it's equally cool to know the star of the track."

"Oh, I'm not the star here. That title belongs to Koda. Anyway, I've got to get back. The relay race is going to be starting soon. Cheer for us, okay?"

"Of course." Uriel waved as Miki made her way back to the rest of her team, then collapsed back into her seat. She hoped she could be friends with Miki. She was a good person. It was hard to interact with her, though, when she couldn't be open with her.

"That was Miki Makimura, wasn't it?"

Uriel glanced at her manager, who had finally looked up from her phone. "It was. I met her through Akira."

"Oh, that boy you were talking about." She pushed her glasses up the bridge of her nose, squinting out at the field where the runners were getting into position. "Which one of them is he, this Akira?" Uriel pointed him out and Mrs. Shirotani nodded sharply. "Indeed, he's an attractive one. I approve. Just don't go getting yourself into any scandals, alright?"

Uriel sunk lower into her seat. "I already told you, it's not like that."

"That's what all kids your age say. Anyway, you should point him out to your mother, 'cause I know she'd like to see the boy you're interested in. She should be watching the broadcast. We can keep it our little secret from your father, though. I know he's protective of his little girl."

Eager to change the subject, the teenager asked, "So, which song am I supposed to be singing, again?"

Mrs. Shirotani frowned. "I hope you're kidding, Eunice. I sent you the music three days ago."

Ignoring this, Uriel hushed her. "They're about to run." Her manager grimaced, but turned to face the track.

The sun had set, and the temperature begun to drop. It wasn't that cold, but Uriel was shivering regardless. Talking with Miki had momentarily calmed her, but it wasn't enough to stop the trepidation crawling under her skin. It was the knowledge that, even though she didn't know when it would go down, something was about to happen. And it would domino the world into hell. So her stomach was churning within her, as if it was being pumped full of butterflies, and all she could do was wait.

The gun went off and the first runners began their sprint, batons in hand. The only one without a baton was Koda, who, as the star athlete on the field, was set to run the entire course on his own. Although his pace was kept steady, he easily began to outpace the other racers. And then a baton was passed off to Miko.

Uriel's heart jumped into her throat when Miko took off at her full speed, closing the gap between her in Koda in mere seconds. She was running...like Akira. Uriel's hand covered her mouth as she remembered Miko's transformation. She had hardly seen Miko at all since becoming human, so she'd forgotten it as irrelevant information, but that girl had taken on a demon, too. That girl was consumed with envy, power hungry, and very, very pitiful. How many humans, the angel had to wonder, had given their hearts over to demons? How many humans in the world were like that girl? She had been normal, unique, had had her role in society, but now the way she ran called to mind Silene, and her madness.

"Eunice?" Her manager was leaning forward, eyeing her with concerned eyes. "What's wrong? You aren't nervous, are you? Are you feeling sick?"

Yes, she was feeling sick, and what was worse was that she was beginning to figure it out. She couldn't remember, but it was lining up. Koda was running, Miko was forcing him to go all out, and Akira was in que to run...but it was too soon! The event had just started, hadn't it? Surely there was more time until then, surely it wouldn't happen so quickly!

Miko passed off the baton to Miki, and when Miki slapped it into Akira's hand, Uriel stopped breathing. Her memories might not all have been there, but it was coming. She could feel it.

When the screens snapped on, Uriel's head went down, her nails digging into her elbows. She could barely hear Mrs. Shirotani's puzzled chatter next to her, the heavy electronic music, reminiscent of the Sabbath club, ringing in her ears. Whether it was actually being played or she was just recalling it vividly, she wasn't quite sure, but the noise was overbearing. What she _did_ hear were the frightened screams of the crowd as the runner morphed into a four-legged monster.

Mrs. Shirotani abruptly yanked her to her feet and began pushing her up into the masses barreling towards the exits. "Let's get out of here! What is that thing? What's even going on?"

Uriel didn't react, not until she spied Koda rampaging out of the corner of her eye. Planting her feet, she sucked in a deep breath and sidestepped her manager's shoving hands, rushing down the steps towards the field. Mrs. Shirotani shouted at her from behind, but Uriel ignored her. She couldn't just leave things like this! Yes, maybe she was an observer, and yes, maybe she needed to let things play out, but what would Koda feel after coming to his senses and realizing just how many people he had killed? She was a warrior for good, for justice. The least she could do was minimize the damage.

She narrowly avoided a stampeding athlete who had climbed into the bleachers in his desperation to escape before vaulting herself over the rail and landing uneasily on the reddish pavement. Just as she was regaining her footing, Miki barreled into her.

"What are you doing?" the brunette gasped, eyes flying wildly from her to the raging beast. "We need to go!"

Akira was nowhere sight, probably off to find Ryo, or helping evacuate people. Without saying a word to Miki, Uriel hoisted her up by the legs and helped her into the bleachers. Miki continued to shout questions her way, but pulled herself up regardless. When she was safely off the field, she extended a hand to help Uriel up. Uriel turned her back and ran to the center of the field.

Koda was out of it. In the back of her mind, Uriel knew that somehow this was Ryo's doing, which meant she technically wasn't supposed to intervene, but he had accomplished what he wanted. There was no more reason to let Koda run loose. Not when she knew how to stop him.

She opened her mouth to sing…

...But she couldn't.

She couldn't sing. Her throat restricted as the realization dawned on her. She couldn't sing? But why? She'd always sang, for eons on end, always to praise the Lord and his goodness. She'd never had any trouble with it before, not even as a human, so why now? Why now when she needed it?

Was it….was it because she was trying to stop the chaos? Because this is what was meant to happen, and these people were meant to die? She...wasn't supposed to save them? But why? _Why?_

Her breath quaking, she inhaled deeply and, instead of beginning a verse, she let out a blood-curdling scream.

Everyone in the stadium froze, human and demon alike. The scream cut off abruptly when the last of her breath was used and her knees gave out beneath her. Her fingers grasped at the front of her shirt hard enough to hurt, but she couldn't feel the ache that bloomed in them. What did hurt was everything. Her heart, her chest, her head, everything hurt! Earth and humanity, they hurt! And despite her love, despite her ages of loyalty, she couldn't help but feel a seed of doubt.

Why couldn't she sing? Why couldn't she, someone who had fought for God for years upon years, battle a single demon that had appeared. Even if she was human, the song of an angel should have been more than enough! I should have been!

God couldn't have...forsaken her….could he?

* * *

Honestly this chapter has me a little worried. I don't think I did that bad of a job of writing it, but it kind of feels like something is missing to me. But meh, I don't know. I can't really come up with what that something might be. If you can, I'd be interested in hearing it. Or if you think I did fine, that would also be a reassurance. But whatever. That just means I have to be completely happy with the next chapter, right?

Till then, Kisses from SnowyNeko! :3 MEOW!


	7. Chapter 7

Personally, I like this chapter better than the last one. I just feel that this one was written better. It also isn't a scene from the anime, so I got a lot more creative leeway to mess around with. I hope you'll enjoy it. I won't bog you down with a long rant this time so you can get to it.

* * *

Uriel was glad her mother couldn't see her face. Even with the makeup, and the elegant outfit, and the sparkles in her hair, her reflection in the mirror looked drained. Her phone sat propped against it, her mom on the other end sounding as uneasy as Uriel felt.

"When you finish, you'll go straight home, won't you?" the voice fretted. She could practically see her mother biting her carefully manicured nails as she spoke.

"Mom, I'll be fine. I've done this a hundred times before, alright?"

"I know, I know. It's just that….things aren't safe right now. Your dad and I can't help but worry. We've...we've been thinking that maybe you should come back to the states."

"Mom-"

"I know you want to stay, I know you feel like God is calling you there, but I talked it over with your dad and we both would be more comfortable if you were here with us. Won't you please consider it? Please, Eunice."

Of course she couldn't leave. Not now, and honestly, probably not ever. She needed to stay near Ryo until the end. But the more she thought about it, the more tempting it seemed. The world was declining. It sounded nice to spend the end with her family.

"Um," Uriel leaned forward, eying the phone in thought, "well, I can't leave, but...would it be selfish for me to ask for you to come here?"

"Of course not! But are you sure you can't come home? Not even for a short while?"

"I just used up all my vacation day," Uriel excused. It was true.

"Eunice?" Mrs. Shirotani poked her head into the dressing room, using her hand to block the speaker on her headset. "Wrap it up. You're going on in five minutes."

She waved her hand in acknowledgement and the woman left, leaving the door slightly ajar as a reminder. "You heard her. I've gotta go. I'll call you tomorrow."

Her mother sighed. "Fine. I'll look into flights to Japan. I'm sure Winston could get a week or so off of work for it."

"Bye mom, I love you."

"Love you, too, sweetie."

After hearing the kiss on the other end, Uriel hung up and flipped her phone flat on the vanity, straightening her back and stretching. As her arms creaked, it buzzed, and she peeked at the screen.

 _Dad: Good Luck. Stay safe._

She smiled sadly. Then, crossing herself, she sent up a quick prayer. _Please keep them safe, and let this performance go well._ She was struggling, though. Ever since that time at the track field, she'd been testing her voice every hour. It had come back soon after the incident, but something was off about it. She found her voice felt faulty, dishonest. She couldn't wholeheartedly sing for Him. So, she decided, today she would sing for her parents. It would be something different, something she'd never tried, and she had no idea what the result would be, but hopefully it would work. All she wanted to do was give a performance that would ease the hearts of those who listened. Hopefully, it would reach them.

She stood and left the room, her heels clacking across the polished wood floors. They were her favorite pair, a pair of strappy silver heels, and they matched well with the layered white gown she was wearing. That was also a favorite of hers. Everything she wore, from her dress to her faux crystal earrings were her favorite, and it was the only performance outfit she herself owned. Usually she would never spend money on such extravagances, but the angelic image this outfit gave was something she found comforting. She figured owning at least one fancy outfit wouldn't hurt. Today, she was glad she'd bought it. Its familiarity helped her keep her head as she headed towards the stage.

Out on the stage, a mustachioed man was opening the show. He tried cracking a couple of jokes, but the most the audience gave was muted chuckling. No one was in the mood for comedy. As he gave a background on Uriel's career, her eyes wandered out to the crowd. She had given a ticket to Akira, but he couldn't make it. She'd also given him tickets to give to the two boys she'd invited at Akira's track practice, but who knew if they showed. The last person she might have known was Ryo. Again, she had given the ticket to Akira to give to him. She hadn't seen him since that time Akira was having trouble with his demon side. It had taken courage to even invite him, after what happened that time, but she still needed to stay close to him. She still _wanted_ to. It was just…she couldn't contain her curiosity about him. Was it a bad thing to be too curious?

The man on stage extended an arm her way, and next to her, her manager gave her a light shove to get her going. Walking out, she stared into the spotlight. With it aimed at her, she was unable to see more than the audience's silhouettes. It actually calmed her down. Even if he was there by chance, at least she wouldn't be seeing Ryo throughout the performance.

At the center of the stage, she curtsied, the man leaving her alone. The audience gave their usual, uniformed applause, and Uriel glanced back at the pianist behind her. Then, taking a deep breath, she opened her mouth and began to sing. Her mind lingered on thoughts of her mother and father, and her voice carried all she felt towards them. There was love, affection, happiness...and worry. The anxiety ebbed its way into her voice against her will, and she was powerless to stop it. This wasn't what she wanted! She had wanted to be a beacon of peace, of serenity, of comfort! But as the song built, so did the unease. There was murmuring from the audience, but she was unable to hear over the sound of her own voice and the piano. The more she tried to revert her tone, the farther it strayed from what she wanted. The butterflies returned to her stomach as her voice ran out of control. She was singing as if she was merely a vessel for something else, as if someone else was singing, and she was simply the microphone.

The song ended abruptly, on a note that was meant to sound triumphant, but in the end carried a wave of what could almost be described as terror. When the last of the sound had slipped from her mouth, her shoulders slumped, and she gasped for breath. Somewhere in the cascade of notes, she had lost her breathing. The audience was silent. Breaking protocol, she once again glanced back at the pianist. The woman's fingers were frozen over the last keys she'd played, her eyes wide and breathing equally as heavy as hers. Looking at her, Uriel realized that neither of them had meant to make the music they just had. It had been as if they had been possessed.

"You know…." A loud, male voice suddenly broke into the silence, and it sounded vaguely familiar to Uriel. "I've been suspicious ever since the track meet, but you're a demon, aren't you?"

Uriel blinked, her jaw slacked.

The voice continued, aggression increasing as it went. "I mean, if you weren't, why would you have ran onto the field when that demon was going crazy? And that scream! I wasn't entirely sure before, but you all felt it, right? Her song was suffocating! Like, it legitimately clogged the air! No human could do that!"

Mumbles came from every corner of the room, their voices ranging everywhere from thoughtful to hostile. Uriel could feel the blood drain from her face. She had to do something before this got out of hand.

"I-I'm not a demon!" she asserted, her eyes wandering the darkness of the audience. "I'm just worried, the same as all of you! I'm sorry it showed in my song, but that's no reason to accuse me of being a demon!"

"You know," a new voice spoke up, "didn't that guy say that demons display superhuman abilities? Wouldn't you call her singing superhuman?"

"I don't think I've ever heard her hit a wrong note, and I've been to a lot of her concerts."

"Did you hear her during that broadcast? That scream definitely wasn't human."

She tried to explain, "I-I was scared-"

"Why'd she even run towards the demon in the first place?"

"It would make sense if she was a demon, too!"

"And it didn't charge her, did it? It was charging everyone else!"

"She's a demon!"

She might not have been able to see their faces, but she saw it clearly as the people began to rise out of their seats, closing in on the stage. Reflexively, she fell back a step, searching wildly for any way to get through to them. They were scared. Humans got scared, so very easily. They don't want to be scared. They're just searching for a way out, and right now, that way out was…

A figure darted out in front of the crowd, leaping onto the stage. The masses behind him reacted by rushing forward, some people beginning to grab chairs and vases, or anything they could get their hands on. Uriel had barely processed the blonde hair of the person rushing her before he grabbed her arm and yanked her into a run.

"They're going to kill you if you don't move."

At those apathetic words, Uriel was struck with the identity of the man pulling her. It was Ryo. Her first reaction was to pull her hand away, but she just swallowed hard and ran faster.

Now weaving through the backstage, Mrs. Shirotani joined them, tripping over her own heels. "The exit should be on the next right, and the car is parked-"

"She's coming with me," Ryo interrupted, shoving open the door to the outside. "You get in your car and drive the opposite way than her house."

Mrs. Shirotani screeched to a halt, grabbing Uriel's wrist to force both of them to a stop. "Excuse me? I don't even know who you are. I can't just leave my singer with some stranger."

"We don't have time for this."

The two of them glared hard at each other, and Uriel could see neither one was about to give in. The clamor of the mob growing louder, she blurted, "I know him, you can trust him! Just go!"

Her manager didn't move, but when Ryo tugged Uriel back into motion, she let her hand fall. As he dragged Uriel to his car, her manager turned on her heel and, taking off her shoes, sprinted to the car the two of them had arrived in. Without another word, Ryo released Uriel. They parted to either side of the car and hopped in. When both doors had been slammed, and the two of them were seated, he reached over and shoved her head down before tossing a black cloth over her head. She tried to lift her head but he held it down. Then he pulled out of the parking spot without explanation. He didn't release her until they were on the highway.

Confused and disgruntled, she tore the blanket off her head and scowled, "What was that for?"

"Did you want them following this car back to your house?"

"You could have explained!"

"I'm explaining now, aren't I?"

She shook her head in exasperation. "Why did you even come? Did you really want to hear me sing?"

"You're the one who invited me."

"I didn't actually think you'd come!"

He shrugged. "I was bored. The university is closed due to the state of panic, so I don't have any work to occupy my time."

"I thought you worked in America."

He raised an eyebrow, briefly glancing her way before returning his eyes to the road. "I do. Before I revealed the truth to the public, I was teaching classes via skype. I don't actually have to be at the university to teach at it."

Uriel sank into her seat. Today was already exhausting, and talking with Ryo like this was only making it worse. She rolled her head to look out at the window and up at the night sky. At least the moons that night were beautiful.

* * *

It was nice to write Uriel at work. Her being an angel and all, a singer was the natural way to go, but I was wondering if I'd ever actually get to show it. I'm glad I did. Now, I don't know if we'll see it again considering what happened this chapter, but...we'll see. Even I don't know for certain what's coming until I write it, usually. That's part of the thrill of writing! Sometimes the story just grows a life of its own and even the author is just along for the ride. That might just be the coolest thing about writing, second to getting to share it with all of you guys. I'll get back to it, then. Let's see where this story takes us!

Till then, Kisses from SnowyNeko! :3 MEOW!


	8. Chapter 8

So one of you mentioned that you kinda became a fan of this anime overnight, and I totally relate! A marathoned almost the entire anime in a single afternoon when I started it! It really is incredible! I'm not going to claim there wasn't anything wrong with it, but I _will_ say that it deserves to be called a masterpiece. From the story perspective, anyway. That's my area of expertise, so I can't really speak for everything else. But the animation was really nice, too. But yeah, it's a great anime, obviously. I wouldn't have written anything on it, otherwise.

Anyway, enjoy!

* * *

It felt weird, opening the door of her house to let Ryo in, but she didn't really have much of a choice. She couldn't exactly leave. Things had only gotten worse since her concert three days back. Someone who had been at her concert had started going around social media, calling her a demon, and they'd collected a lot of followers. The morning after the fiasco, her manager had called her and told her she had been unable to get into Uriel's apartment complex because of a mob that had gathered outside. Needless to say, Uriel wasn't planning on going out any time soon. But other people could come and go as they pleased, and last night, she'd noticed she was running low on cat food and needed to go shopping. She didn't want to drag anyone into danger, so...her only choice was Ryo. So there he was at her door with a giant bag of cat food in each arm.

"If you could put them in the kitchen…" He didn't even come in, dropping the bags in the doorway. She grimaced, but began dragging them inside. Marbles, a terrier mix of some sort, began trying to weave past her feet and out the door. She tried blocking her with a foot and failed. The little grey pup barged headfirst into Ryo's legs. Before she could get away, he bent down and lifted the dog into his arms.

Uriel groaned. "I'm sorry about her. Um, come in, I guess." This time, he did, and she shut the door behind him. In favor of serving her guest, she decided to abandon the pet food in the entryway and go to the kitchen. "Do you want anything to drink?

"Coffee, please."

So she started the coffee maker. While that was working, she went to the sitting room and joined Ryo, sitting in the chair opposite him. He was still holding Marbles. Said puppy was panting happily, lapping at his hand. Poppy, the chihuahua, sat at his feet, yapping. She shushed him before falling into silence. What was she supposed to say?

Well, while she had the chance, she might as well get the answers she wanted. Last time she'd tried asking, he'd written her off with only surface answers. She needed to dig deeper. "So," she began, "why were you so intent on revealing the 'truth' to the world?"

"You're still curious?" He finally shifted the dog off his lap and set her on the floor, where she began chasing and playing with Poppy. "I told you, it's because I wanted to."

"But _why_?"

"What do you want me to say?"

"I want you to be honest," Uriel sighed. "Please stop avoiding the question."

He set his arms on the armrests as if the chair he was in was a throne. "Because, this is the way things should be."

"Why?"

"Why, is that all you ever ask?" She could hear annoyance beginning to creep into his voice. "Why do you care why I do what I do? Why don't you just let me be? You don't expect to stop me, do you? So why?"

She crossed her arms. "I just want to understand! Is that such a big deal? And why am I the one being questioned all of a sudden?"

"Are you suggesting you have the right to interrogate me, and not vice versa?"

"Not at all! It's just...I'll answer whatever you want, but I wish you'd answer my questions, too!"

"Then answer me this. Why are you here?"

She blinked. "Here? What do you mean? This is my home."

His lips twitched up in a chilling smirk. "See? Neither one of us is giving the answer the other one wants."

"What do you-" Wait, he couldn't mean...no, he definitely couldn't. He was just avoiding the question again. That had to be it, but the way he was talking was so cryptic it was misleading. But then, what did he mean? She couldn't puzzle it out. "Why must you be so infuriating?"

"It's you who gets on my nerves."

"Me? You're the one who always starts arguing with me! And I'm not the one who attacked the person who asked to stay over out of concern for someone else! And you say _I_ get on _your_ nerves? Give me a break!"

"Then why do you stick around?" He wasn't even attempting to hide his irritation, fury bleeding into his voice as he raised to his feet. Uriel went to stand, too, but before she could react he had placed a hand on each of her armrests, trapping her. "Well?"

"For the love of God!" she growled. "I just want to understand you!"

"What is there to understand?" he shouted, jerking closer. "What is there in someone like me that someone like you could _ever_ understand? You want to know what I'm thinking? You want to know my motives? You won't _ever_ understand it! Why don't you go running back to your parents and live out the rest of your disgusting existence with that holy family of yours? Just leave me alone!"

With that, he jerked himself upright and lead himself into the kitchen, leaving Uriel stunned in her seat. When he returned with his coffee, he sat back down and sipped his drink as if nothing ever happened.

Her brain spinning out, all she could manage to ask was, "...D-Do you...hate me?"

"Yes."

His voice was neither warm nor cold, simply stating a fact. Uriel couldn't understand. He...hated her? But why? What had she done? Sure, they had argued quite a bit, but she didn't think it was anything worth hating her over. Then again, Ryo seemed to get actually upset whenever the two of them went at it. Did they just have clashing personalities? She'd heard about it, hate at first sight, but never had she encountered it before. But how was that fair? She didn't deserve such hostile treatment! After all, she was trying to help Ryo!

"You know what? Fine," she decided. "You can hate me, but I'm not going to hate you."

"I don't really care how you feel about me," Ryo dismissed. "Feel free to hate me, if you'd like. I wouldn't blame you. If you don't hate me...actually," he paused for a second, "I'd rather you did. It would make more sense to me."

 _She_ didn't make sense? "Good," she scoffed. "We're even, then."

"It certainly sounds like you hate me."

"I'm just returning the attitude you're giving me."

"Doesn't the Church teach you to turn the other cheek?"

"I'd rather you weren't the one to preach to me about what it says in the bible." After that, they sat in silence while he finished his coffee. Uriel's eyes wandered around the room in discomfort, eventually landing on the drawn curtains. Offhandedly, she mentioned, "I hear we're supposed to be getting two full moons tonight."

"So I've heard. And one will be a new moon."

"Oh yeah, which one is that again?"

"Diane. Phoebe and Tsuki will be the full ones."

"As expected from a professor. You're already informed about all of it."

"About that," Ryo lowered his mug, his pale blue eyes lingering on the remainder of the dark liquid. "I never mentioned anything about my job to you, I don't think. How did you know I was an American professor?"

Uriel froze. He...he hadn't mentioned it? "Really? I'm pretty sure you did."

"I didn't."

"Oh, um," she rushed to find an excuse. "I...must've heard it from Akira, then. He does talk about you a lot, you know. You're his best friend."

The boy returned to his coffee, his eyes still cast downwards, blank. "That's true, he is rather fond of me."

 _Phew_. That was too close. Relieved to have dodged a bullet, Uriel continued, "Speaking of Akira, you said you hated me. How do you feel about me and Akira getting along?"

"That kid gets along with everyone. It's nothing I can help."

"Kid? You two are the same age, aren't you?"

"I'm a year older."

"Same thing."

It was weird. Even after all this time, Uriel still couldn't read Ryo in the slightest. He had just told her he hated her, but now he was holding a civil conversation without any trouble. What was it, the difference between this and their conversation before? What was it that set him off?

Suddenly, Ryo stood, startling her from her thoughts. "If that's all, I'll be going. Call me if you need anything else."

Oh yeah. She'd nearly forgotten that murderous stalkers had her trapped in her apartment.

She walked him to the door and he handed her back her mug, and, completely civilly, left. Uriel locked the door behind him before resting her forehead on the inside of the door. Around her feet, her adequately named shorthair, Choco, was rubbing affectionately against her leg. Farther back in the apartment, another cat yelped as heavy, padded footsteps took off around the main room.

"Shut up," she mumbled, a headache beginning to blossom. "You're gonna bother the neighbors." Shoulders sagging, she lifted her head and returned to the sitting room, snagging the big white dog by the collar. He turned his head to her, tongue lolling out of his mouth and tail wagging a mile a minute. Seeing this, she sighed, smiling softly. She pet his head and said, "I know you want to play, Puff, but keep the cats out of it. Go play with Bessie or Kuro." She motioned to a corner of dog beds, where a blonde and a black lab were gnawing on a couple of toys. Puff followed her pointing, and as she expected, Kuro completely ignored him while Bessie hopped right up and started tussling. The orange cat lounging across the back of the seat Ryo had been in watched on as if the dogs were TV entertainment.

After giving Choco a quick scratch under her chin, Uriel headed towards the restroom to begin cleaning the animals' bathrooms. Her thoughts were on Ryo as she started on the cats' litter boxes.

He hated her. She had never been hated before. There was the war that went on against demons, she supposed, where she had enemies, but no one had directly claimed to hate her to her face. The worse she had had aimed her way was jealousy, or misunderstanding, and she was always careful to be pleasant even to those people. That was similar to hate, but not quite the same. Maybe it was because she lost her temper with Ryo? She was usually able to keep herself in check, but with him… But was that really a reason to hate someone?

Sitting back on her heels, she switched to the dogs' restrooms, resolution made that she would stop getting worked up around Ryo. Maybe then they wouldn't be so at odds, and he'd open up to her a little more. After all, she couldn't help him if he kept everything from her.

* * *

I love writing about animals. A lot of my stories involve a pet, or pets of some sort. The first story I ever posted on this site had a cat named Medusa, and a baby goat! Not that it was that good of a story. As I said, it was the first story I ever posted here. I don't just write animals in because I like to, though, although that's a strong motivator. Here I just felt like Uriel was the type of girl who wouldn't be able to pass up animals in need, so without parental supervision, she'd kind of turn into a bit of a hoarder. I was a little iffy about adding this side to her at first, but now I'm glad I did. Like I said, I love writing about them! I can't wait to do it more!

Till then, Kisses from SnowyNeko! :3 MEOW!


	9. Chapter 9

So a few people have asked whether Uriel is a hermaphrodite or not, and the answer is this: As a human, she is fully female, just as human Ryo is fully male. She would be a hermaphrodite if she were to take on her angelic form, but during the time of this story, she is female. I hope that clears things up.

* * *

Three days had passed since Ryo's visit, and trash was piling up. Uriel was usually a relatively clean person, but with so many animals and a fear of what lied outside her front door, there were bags of awful stench stacked to be taken to the dump. Not only had she had to perform the usual maintenance of the restrooms, but yesterday she had also had do to clean her iguana cage. She really couldn't put it off any longer.

Gathering up all the courage she could muster, she shoved her feet into boots, her hands into gloves, and grabbed as many bags as she could carry before stopping to stare at the door. She counted all the way to ten, as slowly as she could, then shoved it open and made for the elevator. She couldn't sit still even inside of it, and when she hit the ground floor, she sprinted out as fast as all the added weight would allow her to. Afraid of who might be waiting outside the main entrance, she opted for a side door. It was closer to the dumpster, anyway. She didn't stop to pause until she'd hefted all the bags over the edge of the dumpster and emptied her hands. It was then she noticed how quiet to was.

Normally, there would be the noise of cars, the low murmur of people, footsteps, _something_. It was a city, after all. But it was silent. For a minute, her fear was replaced by sheer curiosity, and she found herself inching towards the streets. The sight that met her made her pause.

It was….empty.

There wasn't a single person. The only thing in motion was a small white bag blowing by on the wind. It was as if the entire population had just...disappeared.

Then a man emerged from a convenience store nearby. Over his back there was a rifle, and in his hand, a bat, and yet he walked out casually as one would running errands. Uriel cocked her head in confusion. The guy went on his way until he happened to spot her. He froze, free hand flying back to grab his gun and causing her to take a step back in shock. He didn't draw it, but kept himself ready to at any time as he said, "A young girl like you shouldn't be out. It's not safe."

"W-What?" she stammered. "What's with the weapons?

"Have you been living under a rock? It's for the demons!"

Her stomach churned. She knew this was coming, the deterioration of society, but this...this was too fast! And weapons for demons? They weren't _that_ common, although...considering how demons worked, and what they liked, it was possible that their numbers were growing. The human response to their presence was increasing them. What a vicious cycle.

"Um, about the demons, how many-" She took a step towards him and he drew his gun in one smooth motion, setting up his aim and tucking the bat under his arm with the same movement. Immediately she stopped and stiffened. "A-Alright, I'm going home, then."

She didn't dare turn her back, keeping her eye on the gun barrel that followed her as she slowly drifted backwards towards the door. Unable to see behind her, she ran hard into the side of the building. Her hand groped until it found the doorknob. When it finally did, she tore it open and flung herself inside, slamming the door shut behind her.

Her breathing came heavy as she tried to process what just happened. She'd...she'd just...she was almost shot! He almost shot her!

Overwhelmed, her legs gave out beneath her. That...was what Ryo had caused. This was what the world was going to be like, until the end of it all. People were going to always be on edge, always be 'this' close to murdering each other. How many more times would she face it? How many more times would she feel like her life was on the line? First it was the club, so inappropriately named Sabbath, but that was understandable. That had been demons. But then it was the crowd at her performance. And now it was the guy with the gun. These were humans, regular, everyday humans. They were so ready to kill: each other, and her.

…Being mortal was scary.

She'd grown intimately familiar with fear since becoming a human, she decided. In a way, she was glad she understood. It was getting easier to comprehend why humans sometimes committed unimaginable things, and it almost made her regret some of the punishments she had previously doled out on sinful humans. At the same time, she felt that fear was an emotion she might have been better off never knowing.

Someone walked past the other end of hall and she jumped, remembering with a start that there were other people in the apartment complex. Pursing her lips, she trembled to her feet and, forgetting the elevator, instead darted to the stairs that were only a few feet away. She couldn't remember the last time she'd taken the stairs, or if she'd even ever at all, considering her apartment was on the second floor to the top, but the pondering barely grazed her mind as she shot up the stairs, easily leaping two or three at a time. She was gulping down air like a person nearly drowned by the time she slammed her front door behind her. Having been startled by the noise of the door, none of her pets moved to greet her.

It would be nice, Uriel thought, if she had a TV. She never thought it would be worthwhile to spend money on such a thing, but right now, she wanted one. She wanted to turn on the news, so she could watch what was going on outside without actually leaving her home. But she was going to have to leave again, eventually. Even if she neglected cleaning, she would eventually run out of food for her and the animals.

Wait, couldn't she just call Ryo? Yes, he had said he hated her, but he'd also said to call him if she needed anything else. He might not have liked her, but he clearly didn't dislike her enough to wish her dead. But even if he complied with bringing stuff, she somehow doubted he'd be willing to take out the animal excrement.

What if she called- No. She banished the thought. Yes, Akira was nice enough to do what she needed, but she couldn't pull him into this. People were already suspecting her of being a demon. Things would just get worse if someone saw Akira with her. She was just going to have to do things herself.

For the time being, she decided not to think on it too hard and got out her phone. Her fingers shook as she searched for a news website, or article. There were plenty. Too many, actually. And everything that came up under the tag of 'current event' was nothing less than ugly. Finger spazzing, she clicked on a video titled **Demons Will Burn** **!**

The video was far from professional, the camera bobbing erratically as the person holding it jumped about, but what it showed was hard to misinterpret. The shape...it was mostly human. And it was burning. Sure, there were clawed appendages flailing from the midsection, but it was a little girl! Among the deeper, manic voices, a high pitched scream of pain was resounding over the noise.

Uriel clicked out before she could see anymore, the taste of bile making its way into her mouth. That….hadn't been a demon. That had been a little girl that had fused with a devil and overcome it, only to be burned alive for her bravery. And that video, that was posted only two days prior, already had over three million views.

Tentatively, she continued to browse. There were more headlines, some about rumors about the demons and connecting them to organizations, others describing different actions different governments had been taking, and even more blaming giant world powers like Russia, China, and even the U.S. There was more than one website advertising humanity's impending extinction. Humanity as a whole was panicking.

If Uriel had always been a human, she would have fallen to her knees to pray out of desperation, but there was no need. She knew where the world was heading. To pray for otherwise would be going against God's wishes, so she was just going to have to trust that God was right, as He always was.

But...was He?

The thought sent an electric shock through her, and she tried to forget it with little success. She was doubting! She couldn't believe it! Maybe she didn't understand His intentions before, but she….now she was doubting? But she knew He was real! She had seen Him, had heard His voice, had been witness to all His works in and beyond the ages! How could she doubt Him? But she was.

Her phone slipped from her hands, forgotten as she dashed to her bedroom. The blinds already drawn, she also shut the door to shut out distractions, then ransacked the drawers of her desk for her rosary and bible before pulling out a candle and shakily lighting it. Once that was done, and the scent of vanilla had begun to fill the room, she flicked off the lights and sat crisscross in the middle of the floor, holy book in her lap and rosary clenched tightly in her hands. She hung her head and tried to meditate.

She tried to recall the reason she became human in the first place.

It was because she was curious….wasn't it? Because she wanted to understand the punishment. Because she didn't see why it was necessary, and she wanted to. She hadn't thought…

...that he had deserved it?

Her eyes popped open in astonishment. She...hadn't thought he deserved it? But didn't...didn't that mean….she thought He was acting unjust? But He was never unjust! God was justice itself! But she thought...He was wrong.

Gulping, she realized she still thought the same. She still didn't understand why such pain was necessary. Yes, he had sinned against God, but really, did any sin warrant such harsh treatment? And towards someone who used to be a loyal servant to Him, no less.

But that was why God sent her, right? To see if it was time to stop. To see if he had been through enough to repent, bringing an end to the punishment. Of course God wasn't being unjust! He was offering the one who wronged Him an out through her, using her curiosity for good. But hadn't she just decided it wasn't curiosity, but doubt?

What...what if...God sent her to feel human pain, to punish her, as well? She, an angel, had doubted Him, after all. Despite how well she knew Him, she felt He had wronged someone. Didn't that warrant punishment? In the past, she would have instantly agreed that it did, if only on a small scale. She would have thought it necessary to encourage repentance, to bring the doubting soul back to God, but now…

Was she...falling?

That couldn't be right! Even during the war, she had fought gallantly alongside Michael without a glimmer of disobedience within her. She stayed true even during the time of temptation for angels! Surely now, it was just the human nature affecting her. It was just the pressure of original sin. It had to be. The doubt she had even as a pure angel, it must have been a fluke. It had to of been.

Heart uneasy, she opened the bible and began to read, but even as she delved into the word of God, she couldn't quell the instability creeping into her mind.

* * *

On the surface, it may seem like not a lot goes on in this chapter, but there's a lot here if you look for it! Her purpose, her troubles, the progress (or reversal of) of the world, it's a lot. Oh, and for those of you who may be wondering, Christianity doesn't look down on meditating. They say if you're doing it with full faith in God and no other power or deity, its fine. It's kind of like a form of prayer. Just thought I should point that out in case some of you were wondering why a Catholic character was meditating. But what did you guys think of this chapter? What about the story so far? I'm glad you're all enjoying it, and feel free to call me greedy, but I want to hear more from you guys! You all are what makes writing this so great, after all! I eagerly await your comments!

Till then, Kisses from SnowyNeko! :3 MEOW!


	10. Chapter 10

**WARNING:** This chapter contains content that may (definitely will) be disturbing to some readers. Please keep in mind what anime this is a fanfiction of, and be prepared for some things to go down. It's not pleasant. You have been warned.

* * *

It was another three days before Uriel decided she needed to venture out again, again to take out the trash. When she had at last dropped in the final trash bag, though, she paused. How many days now had she been holed up in her house with barely anything to do? Sure, there were her animals, but even those couldn't fill all of her hours. She had tried reading, but it was too quiet, and her thoughts were too loud. She was being suffocated by her own mind. It was bad enough that, despite how dangerous she knew it was, she needed to get out.

Her knuckle went up to her teeth as she made the decision, her eyes flickering left and right in search of anyone that may be around. She was alone, though. So, with slow, hesitant steps, she inched her way towards the main street. When she got there, as it was last time, the street was empty. She got moving before she could change her mind. As she went, she stuck close to the buildings and walked with haste in her step. She didn't go far: just to the church around the corner.

It was comforting, the church. It was a small steeple, with a single peak and only a few stained glass windows to speak of, but among the street's desolation the presence of a well-maintained church was a sight for sore eyes. And considering how exhausted she was, it was like a glass of cold water after a day in the desert sun.

Inside, the roof was high and painted with delicate roses and stars. On either side of the pews stood statues of the blessed mother and Joseph, hands folded in prayer, and eyes gazing lovingly down at the rows of seats. At the front, on the white cloth of the stone altar, candles wavered in the colored light that shone in from two of the four stain glass windows. The room was silent.

It wasn't empty, though. In the front pew, a tall man with buzzed black hair knelt, head hung and hands folded. As Uriel closed the door behind her, he lifted his gaze to look back at her.

"Good afternoon, Father Gabriel." He was a man she knew well, and had grown quite close to in her year in Japan. He, too, was from America, although his father was a Japanese immigrant. He was assigned here because of his ability to speak Japanese fluently. Uriel would have been friends with any priest that had been at the church she went to, but she was particularly fond of him due to his name. It was the name of a dear friend of hers, after all.

The father quickly signed himself before standing, smiling widely as he greeted, "Uriel! It's good to see you! Your beautiful voice is just the thing this church needs in these trying times!"

"Ah," she smiled wryly. "I'm not here to sing today, I'm afraid."

"Whether it's the reason you came or not, I would still love to hear it."

She walked up to the front so they weren't talking across the entire sanctuary. Then she admitted, "Actually, well, I've been having trouble singing, lately."

"Oh? Do you want to talk about it?" She confirmed this by sitting in the pew, and he took a seat next to her. "So, what is it that's troubling you, child?"

She slumped back in her seat, letting out a long breath. "I just...I haven't been able to sing for God lately. The words just won't come out. I tried singing for my parents instead, but...that didn't exactly go too well."

"Why do you think you can't sing to Him?"

"Well," she curled a lock of tawny hair around her finger, "It's probably because I've been doubting Him. I've never had any trouble in believing Him before, but recently…"

Father Gabriel nodded understandingly. "Do not worry so much. Everyone has times when they doubt God, even the most devout. It's times like these when our faith is particularly tried, and we many experience fall outs with our faith. I assure you, though, He does exist, and He is looking out for us."

She shook her head. "It's not that I doubt His existence. I know He's there, that's a fact. It's…"

"You aren't so sure he's looking out for us." She nodded, and Father Gabriel crossed his arms. "I can see why you're wondering, with the way the world is right now. Demons are overrunning the Earth. But God works in mysterious ways. It's not something us humans can understand."

Under her breath, she murmured, "What about the angels?"

"The angels?"

She winced. She hadn't meant for him to hear that.

"I can't really speak for the angels, since I am not one. I imagine they probably understand better than us, since they are closer to God than us while we're on Earth, but who can really say? You could always ask your guardian angel."

That would be nice, if she wasn't her own guardian.

"We must believe that God has a plan. Evil may be running rampant, and for all we know, it could be the end of time, but God can bring light even to the darkest of places. No matter what it is that you have experienced over the past few weeks, He can make good of it. He has done it before countless times. He will not fail you."

Sighing, Uriel folded her hands and dropped her head, but not to pray. She was simply out of energy. "Father, I have heard that since my early years, and it has always been true. God has always looked out for me, and I have always sought to do His will. He has done a many great things through me. But this darkness...what is the reason for it? What good will He bring out of it?"

"We can only wait and see, Uriel."

That was how it was for humans, ordinary humans, but she knew. "Father...this darkness won't end."

"It will. It always does."

"But it won't, not this time!" Her nails dug into her knuckles her teeth clenching. "The end is nigh, and the world will only degrade until time is up! What good comes of that, Father? I don't understand! Why must all of this happen, and just for…."

"For what?"

For pain. All of this was to cause one sinner pain. She just couldn't...she couldn't accept that! It was unfair! All these people were suffering for someone else's wrongdoing! "Father, I don't….I don't think God is just anymore."

He was silent for a moment. Then, leaning back, he told her, "It is mankind and the devil that bring evil and injustice. Whether it seems like t or not, God will always act in the name of justice."

"Then what is justice?"

"It is giving what is owed."

"And this," she waved her hands, "is owed?"

"This is not God's doing. He is simply letting it happen to bring even greater good from it."

"You're saying this is Satan's doing, then."

"Along with the sin within humanity, yes."

It was true, he had incited all of this. He had set the ball rolling. But it was God who had put him in that position knowing what he would do. It was God who let him do this knowing what pain it would cause him. It was God that planned all of this to happen, for the purpose of his punishment. And what an unnecessary punishment it was.

She shook her head, unable to meet Father Gabriel's eyes. "I'm sorry, Father, but I just...I still don't understand."

"That is what faith is for, child."

With those words, a chilling question surfaced in her mind. Jaw creaking, she hesitated a moment, then slowly asked, "What do you do when you can't have faith?"

"You search for it again." Smiling sadly, the priest laid a reassuring hand on her shoulder. She found she couldn't return the smile, despite wanting to. Instead, she bowed her head in appreciation.

"Thank you for talking with me, Father."

He returned his hand to his lap. "Of course, it's my pleasure. Come and talk at anytime. And there may not be many people coming anymore, but please, come during our mass times. I still try to hold them if anyone shows up. It would be a good place for you to confide your doubts to Him."

Saying their goodbyes, Uriel lingered a little longer than necessary in the safe haven of the chapel before heading back out onto the streets. Honestly, she didn't know how she felt after that conversation. She couldn't tell if her feelings had settled, or if she was in even more of a turmoil than she was before. The only thing she was really sure of was that she really, _really_ was struggling. Father Gabriel had said she needed to search for her faith again, but to be honest, she didn't really think she _wanted_ to. The idea that all of this was right, that it was just, she didn't _want_ to believe that. But what was she supposed to do now that she didn't want to believe in God? Since…ever…before existence itself, she had served God. He had been her all, her world, her master and father and leader and everything. She had had nothing but love for him, and now…it felt empty for her not to have it.

A hand suddenly clapped over her mouth and she was yanked roughly off the streets, dragged into an alley. She widened her eyes as the unknown figure continued to drag her away, then began to kick. She kicked with all she had and jerked to get away, and, when that didn't work, she sunk her teeth into the hand over her mouth.

This finally got the man to release at least her head and she began to scream. Then she was thrown against the wall of a building and her scream cut, replaced by a gasp of pain as she slid down to the ground.

"Scream all you want. Nobody'll come to help. Everyone only cares about themselves right now."

That..that voice…

The shadows were tilted, her head was spinning from being hit, but she focused her eyes on the person before her as best she could. The voice was familiar, and when she saw his face, she found she knew it, too. Still, it took her a second to put a location, and a name, to him.

"You're," she groaned, "Tadashi? From...the track?

"And you're Eunice, the demon chick." Before she could collect her bearing and rise to her feet, the boy was straddling her, pinning her to the wall with both arms. Alarm finally began to return to her, but her still spinning head prevented her from struggling. Instead, she sputtered,

"W-What are you d-doing?"

The boy looked…off. His hair was unkempt, his clothes were ragged, and the smell was awful. He didn't look anything like the presentable high schooler she had met back at Akira's school.

"Well you see," he licked his lips and she shivered, "people have been dying pretty quickly lately, you know? Ichirou? You remember him? He was shot by a lunatic the other day. The poor guy died a virgin, and you know, I decided I _really_ couldn't go out that way. You'll help me, yeah?"

Blood running cold, she breathed, "You can't do this."

"You're a demon, aren't you? Demon's like this sort of thing, yeah? So why don't you just take it?"

Suddenly, her dizziness didn't matter anymore. Uriel was struggling with everything she had, but Tadashi wasn't budging.

"W-What makes you think I'm a demon?" she gasped, heart pounding against her ribcage.

"They're everywhere, you know? I was suspecting you were after that track meet, but then that guy confirmed it."

She stopped.

"What guy?"

"Uh, you know, the one that exposed all the demons. I thought he would've taken care of you when he pulled you off the stage that one time, but I'm glad he didn't. Now I get you."

The one who exposed the demons? He meant...Ryo? Ryo had told him she was a demon? "T-Then, you were the one-" Suddenly she knew why she had recognized the voice that had accused her back on the day of the concert. It had been Tadashi.

Even as the boy looming over her began to undo the buttons on her cardigan, Uriel was still in shock. Ryo...really did hate her. He hated her enough to do this to her.

She began to cry.

* * *

I guess I just want to quote an author I heard speak once. It was the author of Gone Girl, and she said to never censor yourself. If you feel the story going one way, write it that way. Don't veer off coarse 'cause you're worried about the reactions. Obviously these weren't her exact words, but I think they're pretty close. I just wanted to justify the graphic nature of what happened at the end of this chapter. I want to be clear, though: I will not go into the details. Even I have my limits of what I can handle content-wise. I'm also going to skip the usual outro I write at the end of every chapter this time. It feels too inappropriate with how cheery it is. So, with that said, I'll see you all in the next update.

(Sorry if I seriously freaked anyone out)


	11. Chapter 11

**Warning:** Again, this chapter contains disturbing content. It isn't the same as last chapter, but it's perturbing nonetheless. You have been warned.

* * *

Numb, Uriel accepted the mug of coffee from Father Gabriel. Although the heater was blasting, a chill still crept through the chapel: it wasn't very well ventilated. A blanket would have been nice, but it was only a church. She was lucky there was a coffee machine in the priest's preparation room.

The coffee was bitter, unsweetened, but she didn't care. She welcomed what warmth it brought. Still, she couldn't shake the feeling of coldness that went deeper than the chill of the room.

Father Gabriel hadn't asked about anything when she'd returned. All it took was a glance to figure out something had happened, and he'd reacted immediately. He'd invited her to stay and pray with him, and asked if she wanted coffee. So here she was, sitting like a stone in one of the center pews, sipping coffee that burned. She was trying not to think.

After eying her for a moment, the father asked, "Do you want to talk about it?"

She shook her head.

"Do you want me to talk?"

She lifted her gaze to look at him, thinking. Then, "Sure." It might help her get her mind off of things.

"How's your manager? Has she been going to mass recently?"

She repeated the earlier head motion, her voice coming out strained. "She was fine, last I saw, but...I haven't seen her lately."

"Why not?"

"I've been staying inside."

"What brought you out today?"

"It was tedious." She returned her gaze to her drink.

Father Gabriel sighed and asked, "Would you rather I gave you some time to think?"

No, she didn't want to think. The quieter it was, the more she remembered things. Feelings. Disgusting sensations. And that she was hated. But now that she thought about it, the church was quiet, too. Father's presence made it better, but it was still near silent. Maybe she should head home. At least the animals would be there, and they'd probably be making a racket like usual. The chaos might help her relax. So she held the cup out to Father Gabriel and stood, muttering, "I should be getting home."

He frowned. "You can't stay a little longer?"

"I, um, have pets. I need to take care of them."

"Can I walk you back, then?"

She wasn't about to refuse the offer. She cupped her hands around her elbows as the two of them left the church, and kept herself somewhat hidden between the priest and the walls of buildings. Although she felt safer being wedged hidden between two things, her eyes nervously fluttered down every alley they passed. The only time she spoke was to give her accompaniment directions.

After a walk that seemed miles longer than it had when she'd walked it earlier that day, her feet finally screeched to a halt. "This is it. Thanks for bringing me home."

Father Gabriel glanced from the apartment complex to her, worried. "Are you sure you'll be alright? Should I come inside with you?"

She attempted to smile, but the upwards pulling of her lips didn't reach her eyes. "No, I'll be fine."

"I apologize for pushing the matter," he persisted, "but I really don't think you should be alone right now. May I please come in with you?"

Not really having the willpower to resist, she relented, "Okay," and began trudging towards the entrance. The halls were empty, as they had been the last few times she'd ventured out. No one wanted to be seen by anyone. In this day and age, even your next door neighbor could be a monster. And that wasn't necessarily limited to demons.

The elevator ride up was consumed with the disturbingly light-hearted elevator music. Even though she'd never really cared about it before, this time, Uriel tried to listen. It kept her occupied. When the shuttle came to a stop and the doors dinged open, the father was out before her. He turned back, patient, and she stepped out just before the doors slid shut.

"Which one is yours?" he asked, eyes gentle.

Her mouth stayed shut and she instead turned and began down the hall. It wasn't long before she froze.

"What's-" Father Gabriel cut off when his eyes drifted from her to the area ahead of them. Then, rushing around her, he questioned in a huff, "Yours isn't the open door, is it?"

He skid to a stop in front of the door, his eyes widening as he looked inside. Uriel began to step forward, but he immediately wheeled around and came back to her, a gentle hand on her shoulder beginning to lead her away.

"W-What is it?" she stammered, head turning back with rising curiosity.

"You shouldn't look."

The grimness in his voice instantly morphed her curiosity into anxiety, and she began to resist his lead. She repeated her question demandingly. "What is it? What did you see?"

He turned to her. "Uriel, please, trust me. Let's go back to the church. I can get you some blankets and books, and you can stay there for as long as you need."

She planted her feet and tried to turn against his hand. "I want to see! Let me go!"

"No! You don't!"

His raised voice didn't frighten her in the least. In fact, it only solidified her determination. That was _her_ house, _her_ home! It was her safe haven! Why was the door open? What had he seen that he didn't want her to see? She had a right to know!

"Uriel, look at me!" Finally, she froze, turning her head in obedience. What she saw in his eyes...was fear. Not of some big bad, but fear for her. "It isn't good, what's in there. I don't think you can handle it right now. We'll come deal with it when you're feeling better, but right now, you need to leave it."

She searched his face. He was being so earnest, he was almost begging. Clearly his intentions were good. She trusted him. He was a servant of God, and whether God was just or not, Gabriel was a man with a good heart. It saddened her that she was about to hurt him.

Her voice cool, steadier than it had been since her return to the church, more confident that it was even on her best days, she commanded him, "Let me go, Father."

The reaction was instantaneous. His hand jerked away from her as if electrocuted, and, with a pained gasp, he fell to his knee. Wide eyed, he tried to lift his head, but it was as if some unseen pressure was holding it down.

Uriel took this in with muted surprise, taking a second to understand what just happened. But that...that meant...and if that's what happened, then why didn't it awaken earlier? She'd needed it so many times, so why now?

But she could ponder that later. She left the priest to recover and, without hesitation, walked over to her apartment door. The light was on. That had been the thing that had first made her realize the door was open. If it hadn't been on, maybe she would have been spared the full brunt of the scene.

Red. Dark, thick red.

Her hands shook as she made her way into her apartment, her eyes absorbing the gruesome display before her. When her foot sank into something, her gaze went down. She lifted her foot.

Bloodied guts squelched as she removed her shoe off of them. Her line of sight followed the string of organs to a smashed, red-stained shape that lay in near pieces in the pool of blood. Underneath the red that covered it and everything as if to swallow all that it touched, a small patch of grey fur sat conspicuously clean.

She sidestepped the mess and continued into the main seating area.

Blood and fur might as well have been synonymous to dust with the way that they covered everything. The chairs, the carpet, the pet beds, even the coffee table. Motionless lumps were scattered everywhere.

A bump shook her from her stupor and had her running towards the bedroom with one thought in mind.

What about the lizard?

She stumbled into the room just in time to see a man swing a wooden pole into the terrarium. All of her limbs went limp as she murmured her first curse word.

"What the hell?"

The man whirled, eyes mad and fists clenched tight around his weapon. She didn't move even when he came at her. When he swang, only being yanked back by the arm prevented her from being hit.

"Get out of here! Go!" Father Gabriel shouted, pushing her away and waving his hands.

"But Fiji-"

"The lizard is dead! The glass killed it! Now go!"

She was just beginning to step away when the guy brought the rod down on the father's head, and Father Gabriel crumpled to the ground. Fury sprang up within her and, without thinking, she flew towards the attacker. She froze with her fingers inches from clasping around his neck, the man having gone rigid.

"D…Demon," he gasped, his words barely audible.

Immediately she retracted her hand, gasping. What...had she been about to do? What had she been about to use her holy strength for? She was an angel! An angel! But she had just made this man, mad or not, call her a demon.

Her thoughts elsewhere, her awareness of the assailant faltered and he broke free of the pressure that had descended on him. He wasted no time in drawing back his weapon to hit her. Startled by his motion, she jumped, immediately stilling him again. Then, her feet slipping on the blood-slicked floor, she scrambled out of her apartment and out of the complex. Her head was spinning.

Through the jumble of thoughts, she tried to focus on the most imminent matter. Where was she supposed to go? The place where she had been hiding from the world was gone, her home, and she couldn't bring herself to return to the church for a multitude of reasons, but she had to go somewhere! She couldn't just wander! Not like this! Not when the world was how it was!

Could she go to Akira? No, that wasn't safe. His house was going to get attacked. The strange thing was, the thought of going to save the people in that house didn't even cross her mind. Instead, she simply pondered where it would be that _she_ would be safe. And there was one place she figured would fit that criteria. One place in the whole chaotic world that she was confident would never be destroyed. And it wasn't a place.

It was a person.

* * *

To my credit, I did _not_ just create her pets to kill them off. This scene in particular was the main reason I told my best friend not to read this. She's particularly sensitive to graphic scenes, and immensely fond of animals, so I thought it better if she didn't read this. Of course, this anime is not something she would ever watch on her own in the first place. I love her, but our tastes in entertainment lie on opposite ends of the spectrum. I don't know, but maybe my little rant about my best friend lightened your mood after this chapter? I promise I'm not trying to send you guys into a depression. I'll try not to be so brutal next chapter.

Till then, Kisses from SnowyNeko! :3 MEOW!


	12. Chapter 12

It was Ryo, not Jenny, who answered the door. Uriel barely even registered that fact as she barged past the blonde who was eying her and sat herself stiffly on the couch. She sat with her hands clenching her knees, her back wired straight and her eyes set on the table in front of her.

"It's been awhile since you've visited," Ryo remarked, coming to join her in the living room.

"As if you don't know why that is," she grimaced.

"Why are you here?"

"No choice. Someone who thought I was a demon finally got into my apartment. I can't drag anyone else into this, and I didn't want to put myself in danger by going to Akira's."

"Do you really think I'll just let you stay?"

Her grip on her knees tightened. "You owe me that, at least."

The corners of Ryo's perfect lips twitched downwards. "I owe you? Since when?"

"Since you did _this_ to me, that's when!" She was struggling to keep her voice under control at this point, all sorts of emotions bursting to the surface. Chief among them was the one that drew tears from her already dewy eyes. "You have no idea what your actions have done to me. What did I ever do? What did I do to you that made you hate me enough to convince people I was a demon?"

"Plenty."

" _What_? I don't recall doing anything to you! And why did Father Gabriel have to be attacked? He might be dead! Why did my animals-" She choked, the image of her dyed red home flooding into her with a vengeance. It had been too overwhelming for her before, but now she was drowning. When she finally managed the rest of the sentence, it came out as a broken sob. "W-Why...did my pets...have t-to die?"

Ryo sat on the table facing her, his right leg near touching hers. "I didn't do anything to your pets."

"B-But…" She sniffed hard in an attempt to collect herself. "I...know. But if you'd never said anything, they'd still be alive. Puff, and Marbles, and Fiji, and Biscuit, and Poppy, and Wolfie, and Momo, and Choco, and Kuro, and Bessie, and Artie and Whiskers…"

"If you hadn't let your voice slip, people would have never have suspected you. I've heard your recordings. There's no way a voice like that would belong to a demon, but the way you screamed that day, then the way you sang…"

She let her head fall into her hands. "Why'd you do it?"

"I already said because I hate you."

"Why!?"

"Do you really have to ask?"

"I do!" Her head whipped up and she leaned forward, words spilling out as fast as she could come up with them. "I already told you I can't figure it out, and you just keep avoiding the question! You're always avoiding the question! I just want to understand you, Ryo! That's it! That's all I came to do! So why why why do you hate me? Can't you just answer honestly for once in your life? Must every word that comes out of your mouth be an avoidance or a lie? Please just tell me!"

He gave her time to get it out, waiting until she had eventually minimized the sobbing and wiped away the snot. Then, as if explaining a simple math problem, he said, "What reason is there for me not to hate you? You're my enemy."

She sniffed, blinking her watery eyes in confusion. "What?"

His head lolled to the side, his eyes aiming out the wide windows. "Must I really explain? The last time we met, we were trying to kill each other."

She blinked again. Then she turned her head to gaze in shock at the man with his eyes elsewhere. "You mean…"

"I don't recall you being so dense."

"But that means-" He knew...he remembered! And if that was the reason he hated her, that meant he had remembered from the beginning, or at least since the concert. But he hadn't gone back to South America yet! He wasn't supposed to know! So why? She cleared her throat and straightened in an attempt to appear dignified even after her breakdown. "Why didn't you tell me?"

"Was there a reason I should have?"

"We could have worked together! I told you I was here to help! If you'd just been more straightforward with me, things could be over by now!"

"You'd help me? Things would be over? Do you realize what you're saying? Are you trying to come over to my side so late in the game?"

"Okay, I guess that's not entirely accurate, but I mean it when I say I want to understand you!"

"Even after I've effectively killed your pets, your preacher, and your innocence?"

She drew back, his last words somehow hitting home more than the others. Her innocence? He...he couldn't mean that thing that had happened with Tadashi, could he? But how would he know? No, he was Satan, he had his ways, but he...it hurt to think he might have instigated it. So she wrote it off. She hoped he simply meant her ruined purity to God.

That hope alone defiled her enough.

Ryo didn't miss her turmoil. "Have you changed your mind?"

She shook her head, her hair a ratted, tangly mess. Her voice quiet, she refuted, "No, that's not it. I was just...wondering…"

"If I had anything to do with Tadashi?" She flinched, and he took that as a yes. "Then you can be comforted in knowing I never said a word to him about attacking you. That idea came from his own twisted heart."

Somehow, for some reason, that actually was comforting. That comfort didn't last long, though, as a second later Ryo was looming over her with a sadistic grin on his lips. Her heart jumped and she thrust herself back into the cushion, unsuccessfully trying to put distance between them. "So," he breathed devilishly, "how was your first experience with sex?"

"Ryo, stop it." She was shocked her voice came out without shaking.

"Why should I? You've already experienced it once. I'm sure it wasn't pleasant. I could give you pleasure. Let me erase the pain of the experience with the bliss of a new one."

"Why do you even want to?"

The man above her blinked, disturbance sinking into his pure blue eyes. "Why? You have an immaculate body, of course. Why are you refusing me? I'm offering to help you, aren't I? You should accept it. I'm not one to show mercy very often."

Unbeknownst to her, a smile equally as malformed as his earlier smirk twisted on her face. "You know nothing about mercy, Satan."

Irritation was plain on his face when he pulled away, gritting his teeth. "Don't call me by that name."

She returned upright. "Huh? Satan?" He glared and she tilted her head in confusion, all traces of the distorted smile gone from her expression. "Why not? It's your name. I've been having you call me Uriel this entire time."

He examined her up and down, and she couldn't help but marvel at how human he seemed to be. She was used to both regular humans, and holy beings, but this was the only other pseudo angel like herself cloaked in human skin. It was incredible that that was all it took to change an eternally holy being. She wondered how Jesus ever went through life without sin.

"You want to understand me, do you?"

She ripped herself away from her thoughts. "That's what I've been saying!"

He was silent for a moment. Then, "...Maybe you could."

"T-Then, you'll tell me?"

"Is my saying this really all it takes for you to forget what you came here crying about?"

The transition from light to dark on her face was almost instantaneous, so much so that it surprised even Ryo. "No, it's not. I'll probably never forget anything that's happened these past few hours. But none of that changes the fact that my overall mission was to understand you, to know what's in your heart. That was my mission from the start, and it still has not changed."

Ryo didn't say anything, not a word, for a long while. He just sat, locked eyes with the unmoved Uriel, soaking in her determination. When he finally did speak, he still didn't break eye contact.

"Fine. I'll indulge you, Uriel. You're welcome to stay by my side while the world falls into ruin. No harm will come to you. Even if I wanted to kill you, bringing harm to you would probably only enrage God further. Just don't expect it to be a very fun mission."

"I already know that."

Ryo stood. "Feel free to use whatever's here as if it was your own. Just don't go dragging any animals back here. If I find you've brought so much as a mouse into my house, I'll kill it."

Jenny provided her with blankets and a pillow, even going as far to set a cup of warm tea on the table for Uriel to drink. She ignored it, though. She didn't have an appetite. Instead, she laid on her back under her blanket and stared at the ceiling.

She was succeeding. Things hadn't gone exactly as planned, but she was progressing with her mission. It wasn't a very joyous feeling, though. The insides of her animals still haunted her mind and sickened her, and there was also worry for Father Gabriel, who could be either dead or alive. There was anxiety over her manager, who she hadn't seen in awhile, and her parents, who she hadn't been able to reach the night before.

And there was something else. Among all of the crippling nerves, and the nauseating memory of her precious pets, there was the offsetting feeling that something was still wrong.

She couldn't shake the feeling that there was something about Ryo that she was still missing.


	13. Chapter 13

So I didn't write anything before and after the last chapter, and frankly, that was an accident. I've been on a bit of a road trip, so I haven't really had much time to sit down and write, or edit these things. After editing the last one, I just sort of...forgot, about the before and after notes. Sorry about that. None of you really seemed to mind, though, so...well, sorry anyway. Read away.

* * *

The morning was beautiful: the sky was cloudless, the horizon was painted with various pinks and oranges, and the temperature was perfectly mild. Uriel's mood was not. She could practically feel the bags weighing her down under her puffy eyes, and she felt as utterly gloomy as she looked.

A clanging in the kitchen drew her heavy eyes to Jenny, who was grinning that ever-present murderous grin of hers as she used a spoon to push eggs around in a pan. Uriel watched her for a moment, the comicality of the scene grimly amusing to her. Then, she slipped her phone out of her pocket and dialed her mother. As the phone rang emptily in her ear, she wondered if her mom had ever bought those plane tickets to Japan they had discussed. Somehow, she doubted she had.

When her mother didn't pick up, she dialed her dad and slouched back in the couch. This time as she waited, Jenny swang out of the kitchen with that lanky walk of hers and sat a plate of bacon and eggs on the table in front of Uriel. She blinked at the food, mumbling a thanks as the demon woman turned on her heel and returned to the kitchen.

She was about to hang up the phone when, to her surprise, someone answered. For a second, the clouds around her dispersed head and she began, "Dad! How are-"

"Ah, um," the person on the other end cleared their throat and, once again, her heart sank. The clouds returned at the sound of an older, female voice. "How are you, Eunice?"

"Alright, I guess." Instead of asking why her father didn't pick up the phone, because she was _sure_ she didn't want to hear why, she questioned, "Who am I speaking to?"

"Oh, surely you remember me, don't you? It's Mrs. Banker, from next door."

Ah, of course. Why wasn't she surprised that she was still alive? Her husband kept at least a dozen guns in that house, and both he and his wife knew how to use each and every one of them. The confusion came with the fact that she was answering her father's, the man who had a hard time talking to anyone outside of his family or his church group, phone.

"Yes, I remember. It's nice to know you're alright."

"Likewise, I'm glad you're doing well. It's quite the worry these days. I'm sure you're wondering why I'm answering your father's phone…" Uriel flinched, but said nothing as the old woman went on. "You see….I'm not quite sure how to tell you this, but you deserve to know. I took his phone so I could tell you, if you called. Oh, it's not like I stole it or anything. I'm sure...sure he would want me to tell you. Your father was caring man like that."

"Mrs. Banker?"

"Yes dear?"

"You don't need to say anymore." Uriel hunched over, massaging one of her eyes with the palm of her hand. The past tense her old neighbor spoke with was all the confirmation she needed. "I have a feeling I know where this is going."

The woman was silent for a minute. Then, quietly, she said, "Eunice…I'm sorry."

"It's not your fault. Even if you shot them and killed them, it's not your fault. We're in hell, Mrs. Banker. Everyone's gone insane."

"Oh, Honey, I know things are bad, but you mustn't lose hope. I know that sounds ridiculous right now, but your parents would want you to be happy."

Uriel took a deep breath. "Thank you for telling me. Um...it was nice talking to you."

"Stay safe, Eunice."

"You, too."

As if a switch was flipped, the muscles in her arm stopped working and her hand, along with her phone, flopped onto her lap. Her head rested on the back of the couch, her eyes locked on the high white ceiling.

"You aren't eating?"

She didn't move her gaze to find Ryo. "Not hungry. You eat it."

"Who were you talking to on the phone?" She could hear muted clinking as he picked up the plate and silverware.

"A neighbor from America."

"I see." He stopped there, letting the conversation just hang, and Uriel didn't bother to pick it up. There was too much going on inside of her to carry on an engaged conversation. She couldn't separate out the emotions, but she could hardly bring herself to care. Everyone was dying. Her pets, her priest, her parents….and her. She felt like she herself was dying. Out of the cesspool of emotions churning within her, she was able to figure out that much. The three things that had held her up her entire life were gone. Her family was dead, her singing was tainted, and her faith was anything but. The first two things pained her, undeniably so, but she still couldn't place them higher than her fallout with God. What reason did an angel have for existing, after all, if not for Him? Everything that mattered to her was gone, so effectively, so was she.

Without the will to hold it straight, her head lolled to the side, and she found herself staring blankly out the wide windows. After a second of doing so, she asked, "Do you ever use that pool of yours?"

"Not really."

She stood and started towards the door outside, her bones creaking. She ignored Ryo when he asked what she was doing. She opened the door and just...stood, staring down at the clear, wavering water. Ryo came to stand behind her. Before he could question her again, she requested, "Can I swim?"

Ryo seemed surprised. "I won't stop you, but I don't have a swimsuit for-"

She was already in the water. She'd hit the water hard, but once she was in, it she just let herself float, submerged completely. Against the stinging chlorine, she pried open her eyes to admire the broken rays of light coming through the rippling water. It was pretty.

After awhile, she needed to breathe. She surfaced to an undressing Ryo, who froze when he met her eyes. Then, leaving his shirt on, the pale blonde sat himself on the floor with a grimace.

She blinked, brushing her damp hair out of her eyes. "What?"

"I thought you were about to drown," he scowled. "If you die, God's probably going to blame me, and my life would get a hundred times worse than it already is."

"I can swim."

"I can see that!"

"Besides," Uriel shifted so she was floating on her back, "I doubt God would care, anyway."

That got his attention. "Why not?"

She smiled wryly. "Because I don't think I trust Him anymore. Recently, I haven't been thinking that He was just, and I haven't even thought that I _want_ to turn back to Him."

"Is that so?"

"Say, Satan. Have I fallen?"

His sigh was muted by the water in her ears. "I told you not to call me that."

"Ryo, then." She pushed herself around so she could eye him while still floating. "Have I?"

"I don't know." He averted his eyes, squinting up at the sunrise. "What does falling entail, exactly?"

"You're the one who should know."

"I fell because of hatred, but you don't hate anything, do you? Unless you hate me."

"I don't."

"So why do you think you've fallen?"

She drew her fingers through the water lazily. "...I don't know...I just...can't have faith. Perhaps this is a human way of thinking, but I just don't understand why any of this is necessary. Why…" She locked eyes with Ryo, falling silent. She was thoughtful. The more she thought about it, the more she understood him. Although she hardly deserved it, she was suffering, and suffering even more anguish because those she loved had been dragged into it. Wasn't Ryo the same? He had gone to war with the Lord Almighty, but by the same token, he had taken his loss. He had fallen from heaven and been confined to a human body, and doomed to undergo crushing, guilty pain. His banishment was just, and his confinement reasonable, but this? Maybe, perhaps, if it was once, if he was destined to endure this poisonous agony just once, she could concede. He had committed the greatest felony in existence, after all. But to be sentenced to this over and over and over again…even if he didn't remember the previous cycles, it was...burning. Her chest felt tight simply thinking about it. How many times had he suffered through killing Akira now? She couldn't remember, but it was many. Too many. And he was going to do it again, and keep doing it, until he either repented or God decided to end it. Somehow, after all this time, she couldn't see the Lord stopping it anymore.

…Could she...stop it? She knew the dominoes in motion, so what if she knocked one out? What if she saved Miki, or stopped Ryo's next announcement? ...But Ryo wasn't going to just stall his plans because she asked, and saving Miki would be incredibly difficult. Likelihood is that she would die trying, and she didn't want to imagine how she would be put to her death. If she was lucky, she would just be stabbed and burned. Unlucky, and she'd be chopped to bits while she was still alive and skewered on stakes like the poor witch of track and field. She couldn't stop the shudder that ran through her.

She didn't want to die. Being immortal for so many millenniums, it was an experience she still lacked, but she had seen so much. So many brutal, grueling, heart wrenching deaths. She had pitied so many humans, but now, they truly shook her. She couldn't just save them, or call upon God to do so. She wasn't an onlooker anymore. If she wasn't careful, she could become one of those many pitiable humans. She was glaringly aware of that fact.

Ryo sighed, and she realized her eyes had drifted to the blue-turning sky. She returned her gaze to him as he stood, saying, "If you're so eager to swim, Jenny can get you a swimsuit, so get out and dry off for now."

She finally let her feet drop to the floor of the pool. "I don't have clothes to change into."

"I'll lend you some." He extended his hand to her. Grabbing it, she used her other hand to push herself out of the water, feeling slightly refreshed. She flinched, though, when his free hand settled itself on the damp waistline of her pants.

"What are you doing?"

"I already told you," Ryo explained, his voice unmoved even as he lowered his head so that she could feel his breath puffing across the skin of her neck, "I find your body desirable. You say you've fallen already, so why don't you give it to me?"

She pushed him back and he released her without complaint. Wringing her hair out over the edge of the water, she inquired, "So those clothes you mentioned before…"

"I'll go get them now."

As she finished with her hair, she glanced down to find the outline of her bra showing through her soggy white shirt. She sighed heavily and pinched the fabric away from her skin, eying it. Life was so complicated. She was sure it would feel good to let him take her, so why didn't she? It just...felt wrong. A tainted body though it may be, it was precious, with or without her angelic nature. It was a thing of love. Did she love Ryo? Perhaps. In a way. But she didn't know if that way was sexual. And even if it was, something told her that Ryo would never be able to love her in return.

There was something that held him back from that, and there wasn't anything she could do to change it.

* * *

I'm kind of curious. There's still a number of chapters I've got planned, so where do you guys think this story is going to go? That's right, I'm asking for predictions! I won't tell you if you're right...but if you are, you get the bragging rights when your predictions come true! In my past stories, there've been some pretty interesting guesses as to what was to come, so I can't wait to hear from you guys this time around!

Till then, Kisses from SnowyNeko! :3 MEOW!


	14. Chapter 14

Hey! So that road trip I mentioned last time finally ended. It certainly had its perks, but I'm absolutely exhausted! I got to see my cousins, at least, so that was nice. Now I can really get back to writing this! I'm really itching to get to it! Before I let you get to the new chapter, though, I've got to say one thing. This happens almost every, if not every, story I post. Someone posts a comment that's sort of long, and then apologizes for the length at the end. I just want to say that I **love** long comments. I love any and all comments, really, but I particularly love long ones. They give me better insight into your guys' thoughts and lets me get to know you guys more, so in return I can let you guys know more about me and the story that I'm weaving. Now, this has been a long intro, so I'm gonna let you get to the story. Enjoy.

* * *

The days drifted by like the grey, smokey clouds that began to block out the sky. Uriel could no longer see all of the moons at night when the sun set, and when it rose, it was almost always blurred behind the screen of grey. The world resided in shadows.

From the spacious windows of Ryo's apartment, Uriel was granted a majestic view of the burning world. Sometimes, it was quite literally on fire. Every now and again, a bonfire would run out of control, raging until either panicked survivors or acid rain extinguished it. When it wasn't flaming fire, it was gunfire. It wasn't rare that a tank could be spotted trampling down a street, blasting away at a gruesome creature of hell.

Uriel spent her time quietly. Sometimes she would observe the world below and simply think, the desire to save those suffering below diluted in her mind. Other times she would borrow Ryo's computer and binge on mindless movies, or play rote games. She carefully made herself every meal just to pass the time. On occasion, she would practice swordplay with an imaginary blade, mimicking motions she'd performed with her fiery sword all those years ago. She shared only the briefest of exchanges with Ryo.

This went on until, one day, Ryo told her, "We're heading out."

She paused, mid swing with her invisible sword. "Hm? Why?"

"One of my generals is revolting." He swung open the closet near the apartment entrance, grabbing out a small machine gun before rummaging for something else. "I think he'll act soon, and he'll be striking here. It would be unpleasant if we were still here when he did."

"Unpleasant?" Uriel marveled at his utter lack of care. "We could die."

Ryo glanced her way, eying her for a second before finally pulling a hefty looking pistol out of the closet. "Is that what you think?"

"What?"

He didn't answer. Instead, he held the pistol by the barrel, waiting for her to take it. When she didn't, he sighed, "We may not die from normal means, but if you don't have any way of protecting yourself, I think you know how painful humans can make it."

She was still cautious, but skeptically, she reached out and took the gun. "I've never used a gun before." She turned it over in her hand, only briefly scanning it over before returning her gaze to Ryo. "What do you mean, 'we may not die'?"

"You really haven't noticed?"

She grimaced. "You're avoiding my questions again."

He smirked. "Forgive me, oh miss angel. Your ignorance amuses me."

Briefly, just briefly, she pondered putting a bullet in him. "I told you I want to help you, right? Is it really so hard to answer me when I ask you something?"

" _Help_. You may feel obligated to do so, out of pity, maybe, but I don't need your help, Uriel. I don't want it, so stop pushing it."

He didn't want it? But she could stop this! All he had to do was tell her he had just a sliver of a desire to repent, and her job would be done. If only he would admit such a thing, all of this could end! She wanted nothing more than to understand where he was coming from, and use that knowledge to goad him to end it. Maybe he wasn't aware of exactly how she wanted to help, but why was he so resistant? Even if he hated her, even if he saw her as an enemy, he had given her shelter in his home! Maybe that was because he was afraid of what God would do if he allowed something to happen to her, but he still saw to her needs. He still tolerated her. Why couldn't he tolerate her help?

Ryo now stood by the exit, machine gun hanging casually in his hand as he waited for her. She shoved her feet into her shoes as he asked, "Do you want my coat? It's started getting colder."

"Hm?" She blinked, straightening. "No, not really."

"Don't complain if you get cold." Without another word to check if she was ready, he swung open the door and started for the elevator. Uriel found herself standing in the doorway, her eyes flickering nervously down the empty hall. She'd done her utmost to push away the memories of the last time she'd gone outside, but they still slithered in the back of her mind. When she saw Ryo waiting, expression impatient, by the open elevator doors, she forced down the lump in her throat and went to follow him, feeling as if she'd just stepped out into a bloody colosseum to be slaughtered. She comforted herself with, of all things, Ryo's vague words. Maybe she was still unsure of what they meant, but she was confident he wasn't just making things up. He had to have some basis for what he said.

Jenny was waiting down in the lobby, unsettlingly alone. Chills ran through Uriel's veins when the creepy woman began silently following behind them. It felt like they were the squadron of an army when they left the building: a terrifying demon woman worth a hundred guns, an angel with a pistol, and their leader armed with a sub-automatic machine gun.

Despite the empty streets, it wasn't long before the three of them were approached. It was a dark pink...bat thing. It had scales instead of fur and ridges running along its forehead to the tips of its wings, and it spoke with a slithering tone because of the fangs that protruded from its mouth.

" _Ssatan,"_ it hissed, coming to hover a few feet in front of out group, " _have you come to help uss?"_

While Ryo conversed with the creature, Uriel silently contemplated shooting it. It was a demon, one that was attacking humanity...but what was the point? Shooting it wasn't going to change anything. It wouldn't save Miki, or Akira, or anyone. If it wasn't going to do anything, there was no point in killing it, demon or not.

Akira. It had been awhile since she'd let herself think about him. She hadn't heard a word from him since she'd come to live with Ryo. She didn't want to think about it. What was going on with the family he lived with wasn't something she felt she could handle right then.

" _Who is the human?"_

"Her name is Eunice, and you are not to harm her."

The scaly bat eyed her for a minute, then conceded, " _If that is your order, sssir,"_ although he didn't seem to happy about it. Then, with a flap of his wings that snapped as if they were rubber bands, the demon was off. To Uriel's surprise, a hint of a smile was left on Ryo's face. She rolled her shoulders uncomfortably, commenting,

"They must be getting pretty common, if we met one this quickly."

"They are," he confirmed, his attention elsewhere. "The world is returning to the way it was before He came. Survival of the fittest, dramatic evolutions, blood staining the ground...everything doing what they please…"

Something flashed past his eyes, something dark, but it was gone by the time Uriel could register it. His far off look was gone, though, as he directed, "Jenny, go get things ready."

Uriel blinked. "What are you…" Her stomach sank. Still, since she technically wasn't supposed to know what he was planning, she choked out the rest of her question. "What're you planning on doing?"

He sighed, beginning to head forward again. "You'll see when we arrive where we're going. Stop asking questions and get moving."

She swallowed her words and complied, just glad that the woman was gone. They didn't meet any humans, but a number of demons approached Ryo to report, or ask questions. More than once, they wondered who she was, and were told she was just some human they weren't allowed to touch. That was comforting, but what wasn't was that some of them didn't leave. They would join them to wherever they were walking, and soon, the two of them were accompanied by a full band of demons. Uriel kept her teeth gritted and tried to ignore the taunts they cast her way.

The first human they came across they saw from a distance, and immediately, the demons began to rally. It didn't take long for the human to notice the horde. As the creatures began to rush him, the young man drew two long-barreled guns and began to fire. Before either side could do any damage to the other, however, a third party came barreling out of the building on the left of the road.

The suited man shot out of the front door, tripping as he went and ending up on the ground, still scrambling away as if some monster was chasing him. Blood spotted his grey suit. His eyes flew in every direction, barely taking in the demons as his eyes flew over them. Without a moment to pause and think, he leapt to his feet and raised some sort of rod over his head, rushing towards-

-the other human.

In an instant Uriel realized what was happening. The man in the suit was in a panic, couldn't tell enemy from ally, and the young man with the guns was too startled to react.

Heart leaping up into her throat, she lurched forward with a shout.

"STOP THIS RIGHT NOW!"

The man froze as if time was stopped, the young man's muscles seizing as he froze as well. Both of their eyes were peeled wide in shock. Uriel blinked, jaw ajar, before she locked her mouth shut and gulped hard. This...is what happened back at her apartment. When that man had broken in, and Father Gabriel had tried to prevent her from going in. When she'd nearly raised a hand in action against a terrified human.

She pulled back with a shudder.

As if the clock had resumed ticking, the two men broke from their stance, the one with the guns turning and fleeing without a second thought. The one that had the rod dropped his weapon, forgotten, and crouched down with his arms around his head. The sounds he made resembled that of a pig cornered by a predator that already had it wounded.

The demonic horde descended on the remaining man. His last screech ripped through the heavens as Ryo turned to Uriel. She didn't realize his motion until he spoke.

"You realize what you're doing, don't you?"

She twitched, throat tight. Her voice came out small.

"...yes."

"You realize what it means."

Although it hadn't been a question, she shook her head. What it meant...she had an idea. It didn't sit well with her, though.

"You may be wearing human skin, but you're the same as me. Underneath, you're still an angel. That's what I meant when I said you wouldn't die. If I wanted you dead, I would have to kill you myself."

"But…" She shook her head again, chest constricted. "...but why? I've always thought I'd been made purely human, so why...why didn't I know? Why is it only showing now?"

"The time of humans is ending." Ryo turned his face to the clouded sky, an expression of excitement in his eyes. "Why are you showing your true colors now? It's because you won't be able to survive, otherwise! Humans are weak! But you have it in you to be strong! You can survive!" The glimmer in his eyes faded, though, and the smile fell from his lips. "If only you would truly forsake Him. If only you would allow yourself to evolve, to stand where you could. Then you would be truly magnificent."

Uriel didn't understand. It didn't matter though. The next second, Jenny emerged from the same building the demons' victim had emerged from, holding out an arm to invite them inside. It must've been her the man had been running from.

The interior of the building was...haunting. Death was everywhere, but it looked nothing like the scene Uriel had witnessed back in her apartment. Instead of blood cascading over the floor like carpet, it was limited to small blotches near freshly dead bodies. Every wound was inflicted, it seemed, by human hand. It was all either gunfire or blunt force trauma that killed them all. Recalling Psycho Jenny's horrific power made Uriel's blood run cold.

When they arrived at their final destination, she finally received the confirmation she dreaded. It was a studio. A news studio. The time had come for Ryo's final push to break humanity's fraying ties of civilization.

As the scene was set up, demons continued to arrive. Low level demons that had difficulty holding human form lingered in the shadows of the studio, but more prominent were the generals that arrived in human form.

The particular demon that caught her eye, unfortunately, also seemed interested in her. The young man with dark hair was accompanied by a white haired man and a frog-like young woman, but the two of them hung back when the young man approached Uriel. Her heart accelerated at the prospect of danger, but she didn't flinch away. She knew this demon. He was ruthless, he was cruel, and he was powerful, but she knew to what extent. She knew Akira could take him, and with an angelic nature, she could crush him. Still, that didn't stop the human in her from shrinking back from the demon lord.

"You aren't a demon, are you?" he began, unnervingly civil. He spoke pleasantly, his handsome face smiling.

"You aren't allowed to touch me, though," she informed him. Her voice was steady, confident, which was the opposite of how she felt. Part of her was terrified of Zenon. But then, part of her didn't care. It was a strange feeling, and she didn't know what to think about it.

"I figured as much, considering where you are. Tell me, are you another 'devilman' that our leader has grown fond of?"

"I'm not."

Zenon's smile twisted into a jeer. "Really. You mean to tell me you're human?"

"I mean to tell you to leave me alone. You really should listen to Ryo. You may not be scared of him, but you should be."

"Are you telling me what to do?" His amiable facade had vanished as he snarled those words, and she could help but flinch. She broke eye contact.

"Of course not. I'm just saying this out of concern for you." She couldn't believe her own ears. What was she saying? Concern for a demon? Even worse, those words were a lie. She just didn't want him to hurt her. Worst of all, she didn't even feel dirty for doing it. Ryo's words earlier seemed to indicate she hadn't entirely fallen yet in his eyes, but then, how much farther would she have to go to be considered fallen? Wasn't she already horrible?

"Ah, Zenon!"

Uriel stood straighter when Ryo walked over to join them. The smile on his face was even more disturbing to her than the demon lord's.

"It's good to have you back," the demon greeted, head bowed.

Ryo laughed. "Don't lie to me. We both know you would've prefered it if I'd never returned. You think I'm weak, don't you? You think that I'm not worthy to be followed."

Although he showed no indication of the sort, Uriel felt that Zenon was disturbed. "Of course not. Where did you ever get that idea?"

Laughing again, and causing the hair on the back of Uriel's neck to stand on end, Ryo suggested, "Probably from your plan to betray me."

Zenon finally began to show the smallest signs of his discomfort. A twitch of an eyebrow, the spaz of his lip...it was hardly there, but no one could miss it. "I would never betray you!"

"Mmm, I don't trust you."

Every living thing in the room froze.

Smile still on his face, Ryo jabbed his hand through Zenon's chest. As the demon lord began to cough blood, his shocked eyes raised to meet the crazed, cruel expression on Ryo's face.

"Let this be an example," the devil snarled, twisting his hand to make his victim scream. "If any of you _ever_ betray me, I'll make your hell burn hot enough to cook you slowly from the inside, and I'll be sure that you feel every ounce of agony that comes with it before you die."

He continued to jerk his hand around inside on the demon's body, eliciting mounting cries and screams until, after an ear-splitting banshee's screech, Zenon fell silent, his face forever frozen with the look of unimaginable pain.

* * *

Wow, this one breached 3,000 words. It's not often that happens. Frankly, I didn't quite know where this chapter was going when I started it. It's always really interesting to just write and see where the story leads you. I may be the author, but at times like these it's almost as if I'm a reader right alongside you guys. Anyway, since the note before the chapter was so long, I'm gonna wrap this up. I can't wait for the next chapter!

Till then, Kisses from SnowyNeko! :3 MEOW!


	15. Chapter 15

Hey, so I just got a new pet today. She's a little white mouse named Zuzumi. At first I was going to name her Nezumi (real creative right? and she's a mouse, not a rat) but that turned into Zuzu, and somehow that became Zuzumi. I like Zuzumi a lot though. The mouse, yes, but also the name. She's so cute! Some people don't like mice, but I say they're adorable. Unless they're eating the food in your pantry. Then they're not so adorable.

* * *

The fog lingering over the cliff shrouded the unnaturally dark skies. Uriel had her legs dangling over the edge as she stared into the misty expanse, lost in thought. Things….didn't make sense. Somehow, this time, it was different. Before now, Ryo had never once discovered Zenon's betrayal before the fact, which was unsettling enough. The real issue, though, had been Ryo's broadcast.

He hadn't mentioned Akira.

Indirectly, sure, he had mentioned that an acquaintance of his had turned into a monster, but he never once mentioned him by name. Neither did he show the video of the club. Actually, when she stopped to think about it, Ryo...hadn't been carrying his camera. She hadn't once seen a video camera in his hand this time around. Why was that? Sure, there were small differences every time around, but that was always the same. It had to happen, so why didn't it? And she couldn't ask him why. Asking him why he didn't record and reveal Akira as a devilman, that would arise more than a few questions from him. But he was supposed to have done it!

She kicked the cliffside under her, lowering her eyes to the black waters crashing against the cliff's foot. The waves must've been a reaction to winds elsewhere, because the air there was still.

High up in the clouded air, shapes of flying demons slipped in and out of sight, mere shadows in the mist. They watched on from above, respecting Ryo's desire to be alone. They didn't make a single sound. They had been silent since Zenon's execution. It was as if they had forgotten, in the time that Ryo had been dormant, his irrefutable dominance over them.

Ryo himself was quiet as well. Behind her, he stood looking out over the land. He was probably recalling the childhood he spent here with Akira. Were those times, she wondered, any different than what they usually were? She had not been with them then, as a human too young to decide where to place herself in the world, so she had no way of knowing. Clearly this timeline was passing differently than the previous ones, so maybe there were differences back then, too. She supposed, in that sense, she actually didn't have a clue what it was he was thinking about.

She was the one who broke the silence. "So, how did you know that Zenon was traitorous?"

It took him a moment to respond. "I'm a traitor myself. It's easy for me to recognize another."

He was lying. He was lying, but Uriel said nothing of it. Even if she pushed, he wouldn't answer her. If there was one thing that had stayed consistent since she'd met him, it was his reluctance to be open with her, or anyone, really.

"So, um," she changed the subject, "How does it feel? You know, succeeding?"

"I haven't succeeded yet."

"Seems like you have to me." A wave below crashed particularly high, and Uriel imagine it raising and swallowing her. "This is what you wanted, wasn't it? Chaos, destruction, the return of the demons... Even if you lose the war, isn't this what you wanted? You know, the whole survival of the fittest idea? If you lose, then the strongest still lives on, right?"

"I still haven't seen if I've succeeded."

This finally caused her to peek over her shoulder. "What more are you looking for, then? Even if you lose, your ideals still stand strong." Sure, she knew he also wanted Akira, but he didn't know he would lose him. And he wouldn't discover his love for him until he was lost for good. So what did he mean, he hadn't succeeded?

He didn't answer, and she had nothing more to say. She turned her head back to the ocean and let it drop, trying not to think about it. What else was there for her to think about, though? The world was literally in the process of ending, all things were in the process of vanishing, so what? She still couldn't bring herself to linger on thoughts of her parents, and remembering her precious animals now made her feel sick to her stomach. Thinking of the Church called to mind Father Gabriel, and the uncertainty of his death, and the guilt surrounding that that choked her. That line of thought also lead to the encounter with Tadashi, and at all costs, she wanted to avoid that memory. It seemed as if there were so few things to think about, and all of the ones that did exist caused her pain.

She refocused herself on the dark waters below, casting her mind towards the fishes in their depths. Those were going to die, too, as a result of the war, but at least for now they remained thriving and oblivious.

"I knew you would come."

Uriel twisted to see, coming to a standstill just a ways down the hill, Akira. And clutched protectively in his hands was an unnerving shape. Despite knowing what it was he held, Uriel couldn't help but feel relieved at the wretched sight. It worked, then. Despite Ryo's unprecedented lack of action, the timeline was still moving as it should.

Akira's voice shook when he spoke, and immediately, pity flowed into Uriel. "Why, Ryo? Why'd you do it? Why did you betray humanity? You're human too, aren't you?"

It could easily have been Uriel's imagination, but she could've sworn that Ryo took a bit longer to respond than he usually did.

"Actually, I'm not."

The stripping of his human skin seemed to suck the air out of the world around him. It was quick, like a blanket being ripped off a bed. In a mere second his natural, pure, beautiful angel form was standing before them, his twelve wings splayed magnificently.

"I'm Satan."

Above them, the flying demons had stopped, frozen in awe at Ryo's true shape. Uriel watched with silent uncertainty. She had never understood why his angel form had remained undistorted after his fall, but he was beautiful. All angels were by human standards, but he was particularly dazzling. Seeing him then, she was unable to understand why the very person who rebelled against purity and beauty itself could so vividly be both.

Akira continued to speak, and Ryo invited him to the demon's side, but Uriel turned her back on the two of them. She knew what the conversation entailed, and how it would end. When Akira had left, she couldn't help but bite,

"Are you happy, now? You've had your way with the world. So what if you have to sacrifice your one friend to get what you want, right?"

She ran the tip of her finger along a blade of grass next to her, almost disappointed. She knew this was coming, but he honestly had seemed better to her. If not better, smarter, at least. Why was it so hard for him to understand that he would hurt himself in the long run?

A broken sob startled her so bad that she nearly plummeted off the cliffedge.

She whirled just in time to see the heavenly being collapse to his knees and claw his nails into the soil. Any disappointment she felt before vanished as she scrambled to her feet, falling to her knees beside him in confusion. His stinging, angry screams rang painfully in her ears. He was crying! But why? He wasn't supposed to realize his emotions until Akira was dead! What was going on? Why was everything going wrong this time around? Why was-

" _WHY?"_ She jumped halfway out of her skin when Ryo shouted her exact question in the direction that Akira had left.

As his human appearance returned, Uriel stuttered, "R-Ryo-"

" _Why did this happen? It wasn't supposed to happen this time! I didn't record it! I didn't betray him! I even sent soldiers to protect that girl of his, so WHY DID THIS HAPPEN?"_

She pulled back, any words she may have had caught unspoken in her throat. His...his words…he was saying...

Her chest suffocatingly tight, she choked, "Ryo...you don't…remember _everything_ , do you?"

She didn't want to hear the answer. It frightened her. She had been frightened so many times in her time as a human, but this fear was different. Her safety wasn't a concern. Her safety didn't even matter. If Ryo remembered everything, then…

" _Over and over, why must I go through this so many times? I don't deserve it! I don't…"_

He broke off into another round of incoherent bawling, leaving the girl next to him struck dumb. He remembered. He remembered it all. Killing his best friend over and over again, suffering the agony of loneliness again and again, all of that guilt compounding, except that guilt was supposed to be wiped clean after every cycle. But the boy before her now was being crushed by it all, all the wretched emotions that were never supposed to layer. And he'd tried to stop it. He took precautions to avoid going through the same outcome again, and it failed. That was what he meant when he said he hadn't succeeded. He had been trying to fix his life's biggest mistake.

And she had felt relieved when Akira had come carrying proof of his failure.

She began to gasp for breath as tears forced themselves out of her eyes, her body quaking violently as she joined with Ryo's grief. She couldn't contain herself. Every time she tried to stop, Ryo's cries would shatter her self control and she'd descend back into piercing sobs. She couldn't reign herself in until Ryo had finally fallen quiet.

He didn't move an inch when he'd finished, but Uriel hardly took note of this as she attempted to rub the soreness out of her eyes. When she spoke, her voice was hoarse. "I'm sorry. I'm so, so sorry."

"Sorry doesn't help anything." Compared to hers, his voice was clear, but it carried a coldness within it.

"I know," she sniffed. "But I don't get it. You _know_ what's going on. Why don't you stop it? If you would just repent, all of this would stop!"

From what she could see of his face, it almost looked as if he was trying to smirk, but the muscles in his jaw simply tensed. "Repent? Why would I do that?"

"Why? You tried to get around your fate with your own power, and look what happened!"

"So I should go back to heaven? I should go back to serving God?"

"Wouldn't that be better?"

"Why should I love and serve the being who did this to me?"

She had no answer. She didn't know. She couldn't justify such a thing either, except to stop his suffering. But wasn't that enough? But _she_ was having difficulty being true to God simply watching his punishment, so how could she expect him to give his heart to Him when _he_ was that one enduring it?

Everything...everything was just...wrong.

* * *

This is not the end, but it's actually coming up. If what I've got planned goes without hitch, it'll be another three chapters. We'll see how it goes, I guess. This one hasn't been my most successful work, but that doesn't really matter. I'm just glad to hear that those of you that are reading are enjoying it! I'll try to entertain you until the end, and if you guys are anything like me, I think you'll enjoy what I've got coming. Fingers crossed!

Till then, Kisses from SnowyNeko! MEOW! :3


	16. Chapter 16

One of you asked if I would write any more devilman fanfictions. Honestly, as much as I'd love to answer you, I have no idea. I have tried predicting what I'd write next at the end of previous stories, but frankly, I don't think I've ever once gone through with those predictions. I write as inspiration comes. I can't really guess how it'll arrive. So will I write another devilman fanfic? I have no idea. Sorry. But hey, that doesn't mean I won't!

* * *

When Jenny brought news of the discovery of humanity's last stronghold, Ryo didn't rejoice. Uriel supposed it was because he knew what was coming, but Ryo hadn't acted at all victorious throughout the war. Sure, he was pleased after each victory, but it never lasted long, and year after year, Uriel rarely ever glimpsed him in angel form. He only ever adorned it when he went into battle himself. He hadn't shed a tear since that day when Akira left, but it was obvious he was still unhappy. Even on the occasions when he smiled, it was empty.

Back when the war was at its start, Uriel had once asked him why he stilled pursued the bloodshed even when he knew what lay in store for him. He'd answered that he had to. He loved, if that word dared to be applied to him, the simplicity of the demons. He found it comfortable, safe, and free. So he fought for them. They were what he believed in, and if he lost that, then what was he?

Uriel understood. She had achieved the very thing she desired from the start, from even the time before she was born into a human body. She knew the fear of losing what you were, and what you were meant for. He had already undergone that once when he rejected God. She could hardly blame him for not wanting to repeat it again.

But he was struggling. Every second of every day Uriel could see the turmoil within him. He had to stand up for what he believed, but that came at the price of his most precious person. He had tried to change that, to have them both, and he had failed. The choice was between his treasure and his identity, and he just couldn't cope with giving up himself.

It was strange, watching him as the world fell into ruin. It made her think more than she ever had as an angel. She thought about the word of God, the teachings of the church, and the places in them where truth rang strong. And she thought about the places where the truth was blurred. To deny oneself, the church said, was to make one happy. She could see it. If Ryo were to find it in him to toss away his ideals and save Akira, save the humans, he could likely live with himself. At the same time, though, that would destroy him. He had torn himself away from unity and chose to become a figure, a leader, a rebel. A person. An angel was never meant to be a person, but he had done it. And it was because of that that he had been able to meet Akira. It was because of that that he was able to feel the joy of making memories. There was happiness in unity, and denying oneself, Uriel was sure. At the same time, however, there was a different happiness to be found on one's own. This, Uriel was beginning to learn.

She didn't know anymore who was right or wrong. In a way, she believed that both God and Satan were both. But 'right' and 'wrong' had become things so vague, so she couldn't be sure of anything. If anything felt wrong, it was wrong to her, and the same with things that felt right. Neither God nor Satan felt entirely one or the other.

She had mostly lost the grasp she'd had of her self. Despite the longevity of the war, she had yet to recollect the pieces of her identity that she had lost. She clung to the remaining strings of her beliefs, which culminated in only a few phrases: Life was precious, Love was vital, and no one deserved to suffer as greatly as Ryo was. Of anything else, she had no certainty.

When Jenny delivered the news to the two of them, Uriel was just about to head out, a bouquet of flowers in hand. She had managed to save some seeds from the destruction, and one way or another, she'd also managed to keep them safe every time she and Ryo had to move to a new base. She had grown herself a pretty sizeable garden over the years, but fully grown flowers rarely lasted for very long. As soon as she'd collected the seeds, she'd always cut the blossoms. As far as she knew, she was the only person who still visited people's graves. She was certainly the only one leaving flowers anymore.

Her grip tightened around the array of blossoms in her hand when Jenny spoke. She knew what this meant. It was time. Everything was finally about to end.

Ryo didn't even glance her way, summoning a demon to carry them to the spot. With regret, Uriel sat the bouquet on the cracked windowsill of the house and followed the other angel out through the gaping hole where the entryway had once been. Although she had when they had first begun traveling this way, she no longer needed help to hoist herself atop the hydra-like creature Ryo had called upon. When both she and the demon's master had positioned themselves on it's back, the beast took flight.

The wind beat wildly against them as they flew, but in comparison to the rest of the world, it was almost peaceful. Below them passed the still smoking ashes of decimated civilizations, and the ruins of once magnificent monuments. All great human achievements were now but dust, and choking gas. There to replace it all were hordes of cannibalistic demons that had left the dwindling war to return to their merciless survival. The sight of them was one of the few things that Ryo still smiled at these days. Right then, though, there wasn't the hint of even empty pleasure on his face. Like her, he knew what was coming. He had been waiting for it in dread all these years.

Uriel dreaded it, too, of course, but somewhere deep inside of her, she was ready for it to be over. She was done. Although she never would admit it, she was hoping her existence would end. She was hoping that, since she'd been tainted, God would end her along with this cycle of the world. If Ryo wouldn't repent, then this would continue, and she didn't want to bear witness to it.

She didn't want to be an angel, but she certainly didn't feel like she was human anymore, either. Now aware of her angelic nature, she had been able to maintain the same appearance she had had at the start of the war: she hadn't aged a day. It had been a conscious decision, because Ryo had also stopped his aging at the start of the war, and she didn't want him freezing his time alone. She wanted to alleviate the loneliness in his eyes in any way she could. It might have been a meaningless favor, but it at least made her feel a bit better. In a way. In another way, it also deteriorated what was left as her identity as a human.

The flight was long. Somewhere in the middle of it, the expanse of lead colored clouds briefly broke. It was twilight. When was the last time she had been able to tell the time of day? She hadn't seen the sky in so long…

The moment passed quickly and without remorse, and the darkness of the clouds swallowed the short glimpse of the universe.

They arrived at the final recess of humanity. It was a haunting structure, heavily guarded, and it looked vaguely like a spiking crown to Uriel. For a minute, she imagined what would happen if she was to rise, to join the devilmen in their final attempt to save the humans, and reawaken the warrior of old within her. She didn't indulge herself for long, however, because God had the ultimate say. And He said that this was to happen. Even if she dared to try to stop it, He would strike her down before she could do a single thing. At least, that's how she felt.

A roar that ripped through the night proclaimed the arrival of the devilmen. A glance upwards towards the grey atmosphere revealed a plummeting Akira above them. Jenny, as always, advised Ryo against facing him, and as always, Ryo ignored her advice and sent her off to the front lines. As Akira advanced, his body a demon's with power coursing through the cells, Ryo shed his human skin for a final time. He lifted his hand to form a shield that surely would not hold against Akira's onslaught, but would at least serve to lessen the impact. She had seen it before, this battle. She couldn't remember how many times, but it was enough that she could recount each and every hit the two of them would exchange. Although there were small variants in every cycle, this fight, _their_ fight, was always the same.

What she wasn't prepared for was Ryo turning back to her with a look of anger so startling that she swore she her heart would stop. "What are you doing? Get away or you'll get killed!"

There wasn't time to think it through, to argue that she could protect herself, or that Akira wasn't targeting her. At the urgency of his tone, Uriel reflexively launched herself off of the hovering demon. In midair, she twisted just in time to see the thunderous collision between angel and devil. Then her hair whipped into her face and her sight of the battle was obscured.

Only then did it hit her that she was falling. Her heart leapt into her throat and, in her panic, she willed her wings to spread. She came to a grinding halt in the air, her skin pained against the heat of fire, but not burning. Although she retained her human form, now three pairs of flaming wings sprouted from her feet, back, and head. She paused with near surprise at their appearance. She had summoned them, but she hadn't known that she could do so while still in human form. It was like, she supposed, how she could command and sing with an angel's authority despite the skin she wore.

When she lifted her gaze, she found demons and devilmen alike frozen in awe at the sight of her. She could practically hear their thoughts. There was another angel? Whose side was she on? Were the humans actually going to win?

She clenched her teeth and folded the wings around her head to narrow her span of vision. She was an onlooker, that's all. She wanted to do something, she had always wanted to do something, but it was that want that had landed her amidst this chaos in the first place. The eyes of fear the demons had, the spark of hope in the devilmen, all of it reignited the festering feelings of guilt within her. She didn't want to see them.

If she could have put away her wings without falling, she would have. The problem was that all of the demons were going to die, and that included the one they had been riding on, and the ground was anything but safe. So she hovered, and she watched, and she grieved as the last human life on earth was brutally slaughtered. As for the demons that had abandoned the cause, not even they were spared. The battle between Ryo and Akira raged across the globe, discarding culled demons in its wake. Collateral. That's all anything was. It was all collateral in Ryo's punishment. Even Ryo himself, in a way, was simply the collateral of a sin he had committed long ago.

And then it was over. The planet was in ruins, all life gone, and lava seeping from the crust. And there, on a splintered slate of rock above the seas of surfaced magma, Satan was lowering himself to the ground, a large, familiar shape in his grasp.

Uriel floated down to him. Her throat constricted at the sight of Akira, severed clean in half in the fallen angel's arms. But it was Ryo's expression that drew the beginnings of a blubbering sob to her lips.

He wasn't even looking at Akira. It was as if he was blind, with the way that he stared blankly at nothing. His face wasn't contorted, he wasn't screaming in pain, but he was a doll. Every indication of a soul had been sapped out of his being. Even so, tears streamed down his face without interruption, rivers of unspeakable sorrow.

As the army of angels drew closer from the heavens, Uriel couldn't stop her tears, either. She collapsed to her knees. Without willing them to do so, her burning wings folded around her like confining bars as she wailed.

It could only be described as an unearthly sound, her crying. It was as piercing as a scream, and yet it carried such fragility and brokenness that it couldn't even bruise the softest of skins. It was a sound that could have brought about an earthquake, or silenced the seas. Had there been life left to hear it, every creature would have fallen to the ground, inflicted with an overpowering sense of irrefutable, overpowering grief.

Perhaps, had a human borne witness to the symphony of sound she had created, they would have called it singing.

* * *

I'm pretty fond of this chapter. This whole thing was three and a half pages full of text, and there was only two sentences spoken by a single character in the entire thing. I think it turned out pretty well. I probably need practice on cutting down on dialogue. It feels like sometimes I use too much of it. I'm pretty satisfied with this chapter as far as that goes, but I still need to work on it a little more, I think, because I don't succeed in doing it very often.

Till then, Kisses from SnowyNeko! :3 MEOW!


	17. Chapter 17

I'll be honest. I'm a little down in the dumps. I've been healing from a sprained ankle for three months now. Three months! And it's still bad enough that I'm skipping out on this week's ice skating lesson. It really sucks. Every time I think it's really improved, I get out on the ice and it regresses. Maybe the solution is to just stay off the ice, but...I can't. I want to keep skating. I want to learn more, I wanted to start competing, I want to make stories out of music and perform. I need to keep progressing, but now every time I put on my ice skates I'm scared I'm going to hurt my ankle even more. So yeah, I'm a little down. But that's not what you all came here for, so I'll stop writing as if this was a diary. Enjoy the story.

* * *

Everything was white. Although she had been crumpled on the ground only moments earlier, she was standing now. Warmth wrapped around her as if embracing arms, and when she went to wipe the wetness from her cheek, she found her tears were dry. She brought her hand away from her face questioningly. She still felt as if she was crying, but the tears were nonexistent, and she'd stopped gasping for breath.

Lifting her gaze, she found herself alone. Ryo was gone, Akira's corpse nowhere to be found, the armies of angels nowhere to be seen. As her hand fell back to her side, it dawned on her where she was.

Who she was with.

Not a second had passed after this realization when she felt meaning vibrate in the air, in her ears, in her head. They weren't words. No, these were so much more precise than words, impossible to misunderstand and misinterpret. It was pure intent, and it was everywhere.

The urge to descend to her knees shook her frame. It shook the flames of her wings and made them to burn brighter than before, creating a great flurry of heat that only made her shake all the more. She didn't get down on her knees. How could she? There was no ground, and she was suspended beyond her control. She bowed her head, however, her hands quaking violently as she folded them in front of her chest. She swallowed hard, her mouth dry.

"Lord."

His love was encasing her from every angle. She had basked in it for millenniums, but here, now, it terrified her. It was too soft. The past few years had been to so rough. Everything….everything had been on the edge of destruction. Now, faced with creation itself, she was frozen in fear.

"I have changed. It's been..informal." She listened, then gave a slight nod. "I came to understand him. But my God, I haven't…I haven't been able to understand you. I still do not understand why Satan was punished this way. I don't…."

She paused, breath quivering as she was spoken to. "I know. I know, but...you know I can't trust you. You've seen how I've struggled, you know my pain. It's not that I want to doubt you, but...I also can't believe this is right."

She blinked, confused as to why He would ask her when He surely knew. "No, he didn't. He can't after you've done this to him. What? What do you mean he chose this himself? Of course he didn't! You didn't have to do this to him just because he didn't want to serve you! So what if you love him? What if he hates you? I understand it saddens you, but it's your plan that's causing him pain! You're doing this on purpose!" The more she spoke and the more she heard, the more her shaking came out of temper, rather than fear. "I know! He's hurting himself! But he tried not to! No he didn't fix himself, but he made an effort! Couldn't you have honored that? Couldn't you...couldn't you have saved Miki, at least? Or made it so Akira didn't have to fight him? I get that he did wrong, I get that he needed to be punished, but this...this hell…"

She froze then, even her shaking stopping. Her eyes widened. She lifted her head despite having nothing to look at, and her voice caught heavy in her throat. Choking, she stammered, "W-What? Why would you…"

Because that's why he sent her? But didn't he merely send her to test Ryo for regret? She couldn't wrap her head around it. Still, it was clear what He meant. When He spoke, no one could mishear.

She forced her voice to be heard. "F-Forgive him. I want you to forgive him! I know you won't if he doesn't want to come back to you, but he doesn't deserve this! I'm sorry but I can't think of this as just! No one deserves to suffer like that! If you can't forgive him, then forget! And let him forget! Let everyone...just forget! Even the worst of criminals deserve to be happy, so please, just let him live!"

She almost couldn't believe her own words. No, she couldn't believe what was happening. He was leaving the decision to her? Him...God, the God of the universe, and He was giving her power over the most infamous traitor of all. If her tears would flow, she might've killed herself with the resources she would've needed to make all the tears she felt like crying.

But there was something else, too. Another reason he was allowing her request. As she stood there in shock, images began flooding into her head. They were images of Ryo, and of her. All of them were of the two of them together at one time or another. She remembered most of them, but some of them were new to her. There were all the times he'd tried to convince her to sleep with him over the years, and she was used to that, but there was also a scene of him covering her in a blanket while she slept on his couch, and the time he told her she could stay at his home when she lost her own. There was the time he'd nearly jumped in the pool after her when he had thought she was drowning, followed by him telling her she wasn't yet fallen, and there was the numerous times throughout the war when he had asked her to sing for him. The most recent scene was where he had shouted at her to get away when Akira had been attacking.

What struck her thos most, however, was the scene where he saved her from that mob he had created himself at her concert. She had never understood that moment. Over the years it had nagged at the back of her mind, because she could never understand why he had ventured to do it when he was going to save her from it anyway. But was this true? Of course, it had to be. It was God who was telling her this. Had Ryo really...changed his mind? Had he been fighting with himself because...he had come to care for her?

It didn't make sense, but at the same time, it was as if the final piece of the puzzle was coming into place. How he had come to care for her, why he had come to care for her, the reasons could have been infinite, but it didn't matter to her what they were. If it was true, then so many of his actions she hadn't understood before made sense, and God's decision, too, to honor her plea, made so much more sense if it was true. Maybe what Ryo felt was love, maybe it never quite got that far, but he had felt care for a being other than himself, and unlike with Akira, no matter how minute his actions might have been, he had acted on it. He had acknowledged compassion within himself. And even if he didn't realize it himself, that meant he had accepted God in some way.

Her folded hands were crushing each other with emotion as her vision began to blur. Light flooded in until her eyes couldn't perceive a thing, the white consuming all that there was as she silently thanked the Lord, because even if she doubted, even if she felt that He was wrong, He showered her with mercy.

And because of her, He was granting mercy to the one who needed it most.

* * *

Sorry about the short length. It just felt like it would be better to cut it short than try to drag it out unnecessarily. Since my afore note was so long, I'll keep this after note snappy. The next chapter's the last one. I wonder if it feels sudden. It certainly doesn't to me. But, well, I'll see you guys there!

Till then, Kisses from SnowyNeko! :3 MEOW!


	18. Chapter 18: The Beginning

The final chapter. It's finally here. It's always a weird feeling when the end rolls around. But hey, the end of one thing is always the beginning of something else. It's sad to say goodbye to a character, but that just means there are new characters waiting to be written, so I guess, in a way, I love the end of stories. I dunno. Well, I'll let you get to reading. I hope you enjoy the last chapter of The Traitor.

* * *

Ryo hung up the phone and stepped out of his car, allowing the warming spring air to clear his head. Work was so troublesome. If someone were to ask him, he would say he enjoyed his job, but it was a pain to have to be available to his students all the time. Even though he didn't even lecture that day, he was still getting calls and texts from students asking for help. That was his fault, though. He'd been the one to offer his his number to his students. His goal had been their absolute success, so his reputation would grow, but he was now questioning whether the effort was worth it. He already had a name in the intellectual world: did he really need to feed it?

He shut down his phone and tossed it in the car seat before slamming the door. Promised or not, he wasn't going to take anymore calls today. This afternoon was reserved for celebration.

He leaned against the hood and waited, watching as the wave of graduates began pouring out of the building. The already thick crowd was increased by family and friends that had come to congratulate the myriad third years with diplomas in their hands. He wasn't about to dive into that mess. He might have come to support his own friend, but Akira could come to him if he wanted to be congratulated.

Eyes were drawn to him naturally. Of course they were. He was a blonde haired, blue eyed human in the midst of tanned skin and even darker hair. There was that, and the fact that he had driven up in an expensive foreign car. He was used to holding peoples' gazes, and he was attuned to ignore them.

His own eyes were aimed up at the windows of the building, floating from room to room, floor to floor. Most rooms were empty, although a few students and teachers were lingering behind. Ryo was glad he didn't teach in a traditional classroom. He disliked dealing with his students enough without being face to face with them.

Sometimes he wondered why he taught, when humans were such a pain to him. Then one of his students would start a classwide debate about one thing or another and he would have the time of his life. Perhaps he wasn't fond of them, but human knowledge was truly a wonder.

A high, waving hand caught his eye and he lowered his gaze back to the ground. Rushing towards him through the crowd was a mid height, skinny, wide-smiling boy. Ryo grinned and pushed off the car. He barely had time to raise his arms before his childhood friend collided with him and they exchanged a brief bear hug.

"I was worried you wouldn't come!" Akira exclaimed, pulling away.

"I told you I would, didn't I?"

"But you're always so busy!"

"I wasn't about to miss this. Congratulations on your graduation."

The boy was beaming. "Thanks! I'm counting on you to help me with my college work!"

He snickered. "Do it yourself. What I _will_ do is treat you to dinner, wherever you want to go. So what'll it be?"

Ryo's mood darkened, though, when Akira hesitated. "That sounds great," he started to his friend's dismay, "but my parents actually just came back to the country to see me. We're going out with the Makimuras tonight to celebrate."

"Can't be helped, then," Ryo flinched. "We'll do it another time." Of course he was busy. Whenever one of them was free, the other seemed to have something going on. It felt as if they'd had almost no time together since they reunited, but what was there to do? He told himself time and time again that he had to be glad just to be back with Akira, and he was. It just killed him that he barely got time with the one person he wanted to spend time with.

"Definitely! I definitely won't pass you up on a meal! Besides, it feels like it's been awhile since we've seen each other."

"I'll drive you home."

"Wow, seriously?"

"If you like my car that much, I could always buy you one." Akira refused without wavering. It would be nice if he would just accept his offers every once in awhile. The first time he'd suggested getting him a motorcycle, Akira had almost accepted, but then backed out with the excuse of not wanting to take something without being able to give anything in return. Sighing, Ryo waved for his friend to get in the car.

When he himself went to round the hood to get to the drivers side, though, he paused. Within the school gates he had glimpsed something. At first he wasn't sure what it was, but then the crowd shifted and he saw a pale, tawny color that was out of place among the heads of brown and black hair. Either the girl had dyed it, or like him, she wasn't Japanese, but for some reason he had a feeling that her hair color was natural. It somehow felt nostalgic to him.

She wasn't wearing a uniform, either, or holding a diploma. She was instead dressed in a loose white dress that went down to her knees, and looked a little light for the mild weather. She looked young, though. Young enough to be a student. Maybe she was an underclassman?

"What're you looking at?"

Ryo shook his head, then vaguely waved, "There's a girl not in uniform. I was just thinking she looked like a foreigner."

"Hm?" Although he'd been getting in the car, Akira stood back up to locate the girl. "Oh her? Yeah, she's an American like you. She doesn't go here, but she's got a couple friends she visits a lot. I heard she's a celebrity."

"Is that so?"

Akira glanced over at Ryo, his grin bordering on mischievous. "You usually don't pay attention to others. Are you interested in her?"

"Of course not." He yanked open the car door. If she was famous, maybe he had seen her on an ad somewhere before. That would explain the feeling of nostalgia.

Without permission from Ryo, Akira abandoned the car, shouting, "I'll call her over here for you!"

Ryo opened his mouth to call after him, but it was useless. His friend had already reached the girl. He tapped on her shoulder and she turned. Although Ryo had slammed the door shut to go and drag Akira back, the sight of her face made him plant his feet where he stood.

That earlier, diluted feeling of nostalgia swelled powerfully within him as he took in her rosy pink lips and bright, robin egg blue eyes that matched his own. Her smile was soft and warm as she exchanged words with Akira, and when her gaze shifted onto him, some unidentified emotion churned within his stomach.

Ryo couldn't tear his eyes away. Could Akira...actually be right? Was he interested in her? He'd found pleasure in girls plenty of times, sure, but never had he actually been _attracted_ to one, let alone one he hadn't even met. It was ridiculous! Love at first sight wasn't a thing! But then, what was happening to him?

He was wary when she approached with Akira. Who was she? Why did he feel like he knew her?

"This is my childhood friend Ryo," Akira was introducing. "He's only a year older than me, but he's actually a professor at a university in America!"

"Oh, so you're my age, huh?" Even her voice unsettled him. It was beautiful, lilting and angelic, as if on the edge of bursting into choral hymns. It wasn't the deja-vu he felt hearing her voice that disturbed him so greatly: everything about her felt familiar, it seemed. What irritated him was that he _wanted_ to be soothed by it. He could only imagine that this was how it felt for children to hear the voice of their mother. It was as if her voice had saved him many times before, and he was aching for her to do it again.

But they had never met! Despite how she felt to him, he was certain. The two of them had never spoken, or even seen each other once since they were born. She was strange, unnatural, but at the same time she felt like the person who knew him best.

So when she extended her hand to him, it was with great caution that he reached out to take it.

At least her hand didn't feel familiar.

"Nice to meet you, Ryo. My name's Eunice Mcormick."

Eunice, huh? He was sure he hadn't met anyone by that name before. As he dropped his hand, he responded, "Ryo Asuka, and likewise."

Her hands went to clasp behind her back, her brows furrowing in a quizzical way as she asked, "Um, I may be wrong, but have we met before?"

Before he could get anything out, Akira butted in. "Really? You and Eunice know each other?"

"We don't," Ryo refuted stubbornly, making sure his face was unreadable. Her words had shocked him. She felt it, too? How was that possible? He was certain he had never come across someone with the name-

"Oh, sorry, then. And you can call me Uriel. It's what my friends call me."

 _Uriel_.

 _That_ name felt intimate. He knew someone by that name, but for the life of him he couldn't remember who it was. The more he pondered it, the more it became evident to him that she had to be that Uriel, but _he didn't know her_.

"So," she started, appearing to feel a bit awkward, "Akira said you wanted to meet me. Are you a fan of mine, perhaps?"

Ryo sent a venomous glare at his friend. "No, I just thought it was interesting to see another non-Japanese, although I'll admit I'm half and half. If you have fans, you must be famous. What do you do?"

"I don't know if you'd call me famous, but I'm a singer. You know, I perform and sell CDs, although it's not really everyday music. It's mostly operatic, celtic, and folk music."

"That's pretty diverse."

"You think? I guess you may be right. I haven't really seen any other people crossing genres like that, but I've never really thought about it before. My manager just tends to sign me up for a lot of different gigs."

"It sounds interesting."

"Really?" Although her small smile doesn't widen, the statement seems to make her glow even brighter. "Um, well, if you're interested, I actually have a few tickets to my next show on hand. I meant to give them to the friends of mine who are graduating, but a couple of them couldn't make it."

Again before Ryo could reply, Akira piped, "Are you sure? Could we really take them?"

"Of course!" she beamed. "It always feels great to sing when I know people in the audience!" She dug her hand into a pocket hidden in the folds of her dress, retrieving two glossy paper rectangles. Ryo considered turning them down, but his growing curiosity about who she was to him and the excited look on her face brought his hand up to take them.

He only got time to thank her before her friends called her back over to them, and she left with a quick wave.

"You two seemed to get along," Akira noted, finally reopening the door to climb in the car. Ryo let the comment slide. He examined the tickets in his hand for a moment before sliding them in his pocket and going to get in the driver's side.

She was a mystery. It wasn't often he came across people he couldn't understand. In fact, he didn't think he could remember a single time that had happened. She was strange, new, and admittedly intriguing, not to mention beautiful. Even if she gave him feelings that left him confused and unnerved, the puzzle she was gave rise to a feeling of exhilaration inside him.

Whatever she was, however she set him on edge, he liked her. And when he liked something, he wasn't the type to let it go.

* * *

 **The End**

It's over. What a journey it's been, both for me and for Uriel. Hopefully it was entertaining for all of you. Usually I give a shout out to whoever commented the most at the end, but there weren't really any of what I call 'serial commentators' this time around, so I'll just say thank you to everyone who did comment. I seriously loved hearing from you all. I was a little worried I would end up dropping this story like I dropped Without A Name, but thanks to your encouragement I was able to keep writing and get to the end. Last but not least, thank you all for reading! Without you guys, I would never have written all the stories that I have, so thank you.

Till Next Time, Kisses from SnowyNeko! :3 MEOW!


End file.
